To Heal a Broken Heart Type One: A Shattered Mind
by zodiac38352
Summary: What if Painwheel wasn't the first successful subject of Lab Zero? And what if he could help the tortured girl find her sanity again, and maybe something else in the process? A mixture of Painwheel's, Filia's, and my OC's story. Pairing is Painwheel/Carol, OC. First Fan-Fic. Any and all reviews are appreciated. Rated T for the fair bit of fighting and the occasional swear word.
1. Chapter 1: The Inevitable Return

To Heal A Broken Heart

Chapter 1: The Inevitable Return

_Soul contamination stabilized..._

_Beginning inplantment of control mechanism..._

_The Skullgirl's blood has now been fully intergrated into him. No signs of rejection, Doctor_

_Good, establishing control now._

_OBEY LAB ZERO. FIND THE SKULLGIRL AND DESTROY HER, AS WELL AS RETRIEVE THE SKULL HEART. ENSURE THAT IS IS BROUGHT TO US SAFELY, MY NEWEST MINION, MY..._

"Ragnorok" he heard a very deep voice say to him, stirring him from his slumber.

"Huh?" The young man said, still trying to stir himself from his nightmares.

"Ragnorok, you have to wake up now. We need to eat something," continued the voice in his head, thinly veiling annoyance about about his hunger.

"Nice to see that you are as lively as usual, Fenrir". Now that he was fully conscious, Ragnorok began trying to recall the previous night's events, as his mind was still a tad fuzzy.

"Now I remember, we have just returned to New Meridian in order to finally take care of that mongrel, Brain Drain. After that, we'll see about this Skull Heart buisness he was always on about. That about sum it, Fen?"

Yes, though would you kindly stop referring to me by that childish nickname. I'm a parasite designed to kill, not your friend" Fenrir replied, using his typical dark tone.

"Oh, your just being a pessimist because we haven't had anything to eat yet. Tell you what, why don't we swing by that cafe we passed by on the way to the motel?"

"Wait, you mean that one where we saw a guy get knocked out of a window by that big-boobed chick with the freaky hair?"  
"Yep"

"Two Words: Mad Bitchin. By the way, what was it that was causing you problems. I could feel your emotions all over the place" stated Fenrir, now showing the slightest bit of genuine concern for his partner.

"It was just a nightmare. Sorry if it was causing you problems."

"Was is the one with the two guys and speedos that tried to-"

"NO! Though thanks a lot for that. I have been repressing that one for years, now its gonna be stuck in my head again for months" spoke Ragnorok, now that his brain finally remembered that terrible dream, which was a byproduct from something soterrifying, that no man should ever have to see. It was a movie called _Magic Mike._

"Well what else could it be? That is the only thing I can think of that could scar you that horribly, except maybe..."

"My rebirth as Ragnorok. Thats what I remembered, including the memories of that monster, Brain Drain"

"Ouch, must be because we are nearing our goal. On the plus side, you can use those memories when you encounter him so that we can thuroughly smash that A-hole's brain dome. By the way, what do you think he does when he scratches that? Is there some sort of manical villain repair store?" inquired Fen, showing off his other key personality trait, being a smug smart-alek.

"Must be. Or it could just be he's a wuss that never leaves the lab. Well, now that we have most of the day figured out, Shall we go eat? After that, its going to be open season on the Skullgirl and Lab Zero members alike, and heaven help anyone that gets in our way."

"Sounds like a plan" stated Fenrir, now that the pair were finally ready to begin the day.

"So then," they both spoke, as Fenrir and Ragnorok combined their minds, with one of his eyes going from his typical blue to black and red, "Lets have fun," his voice taking a noticeable dip, now falling somewhere between the pair.

**Well, that is my first chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it, and yes, I know this had little to no mention of the other characters, but I had to develop my OC first. Still, hope that this story will only improve**


	2. Chapter 2: The Pieces Begin to Move

**Before I start I would like to note a few things I forgot to ever mention before. For one, I in no way, shape, or form own Skullgirls. All I own is a copy of the , with that disclaimer out of the way, I would like to give now notice to my recently obtained cover pic, which can be found here: **** art/Pain-348046774**** (PS, look at this guy's art in general, as it is really good). Finally, before anyone comments about it, yes, the beginning few sentences are for the most part identical to the start of Painwheel's story, and it was intentional as a way to make the characters similar, as well as the fact they all would probably go through a similar process. Well, hope you enjoy.**  
Chapter 2: The Pieces Begin to Move

PAINWHEEL, IT IS TIME TO AWAKEN. YOU HAVE YOUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT.

_Five more minutes _could be heard somewhere in the dark recessess of the damaged girl's mind. Though of course, she knows the thought was futile, as her body was always forced to obey whatever demands Brain Drain gave her, regardless of her own personal opinion. So, with little effort, she arose from her cot and removed the IV from her arm, the purpose of which was to ensure she had just enough nutritional value to complete the day. Why go through all the effort of cooking, Brain Drain would say, when we can just feed them through a tube while they sleep. Then again, kindness has never been one of his virtues.

After a bit of walking, she finally arrived to Brain Drain's main office, which was all decorated in a style to emphasize his twisted nature, as well as minorly amplify his already strong mental powers. Naturally, he could have just relay her instructions from her cot, like he did her wake up call, but he posessed a flair for the dramatic, alongside his general sadism and cloning habits.

Once she had arrived there, Brain Drain arose from his desk, wearing his typical uniform that instilled both a sense of authority and fear. This was further emphasized by his actual body, which by this point was more mechanical than organic. The only thing that showed he was at one point at least physically human was his brain, easily identified through a clear dome. When he was right in front of her, he began speaking, only ever talking to people via their minds.

NOW THEN, Brain Drain began, YOUR ASSAIGNMENT IS TO TAKE CARE OF AN OLD ASSOCIATE THAT HAS LONG SINCE GROWN SOFT. YOU ARE ALSO TO TAKE CARE OF ANY AND ALL OF HIS SUBJECTS, WHO ARE JUST AS POINTLESSLY SENTIMENTAL AS HE IS. HIS NAME IS DR. AVIAN, WHO IS THE HEAD OF LAB 8. VALENTINE WILL FOLLOW SHORTLY THERE IN ORDER TO ASSIST IN ANY CLEAN UP. ENSURE THAT SHE HAS NO REASON TO BE THERE, OR THERE WILL BE PUNISHMENT.

"Yes, Master," spoke Painwheel in her usual disturbed voice. While on the outside she was fairly complacent, internally she was adamantly against the whole thing. _No, please don't make me kill more do I have to keep staining my body with the blood of others. I beg of you, you have to stop._ By this point, Carol was appealing to her body to resist Brain Drain's control. This was futile, of course, as she was a sixteen-year old girl trying to repel the mental attacks of an old psychic whose specialty was mind control. She may as well have been trying to move a mountain. So she inevitably could do nothing but mourn her next victims. With that, she left, ready to make the trek to Lab 8, indiscreetly of course.

**Meanwhile, somewhere near Little Innsmouth...**

"Hopefully, we will be able to figure out more about the current events from Dr. Avian," spoke Ragnorok, who, after a fairly long morning, has obtained little to no meaningful knowledge about the Skullgirl or Lab Zero, as he had long since forgotten the Lab's actual location. The only bits of worthwhile news they had picked up on was that the local gang, The Medici, were planning something big, and several odd people showing up, however the news there was so inconsistent that any information there was useless as well. With that in mind, Ragnorok opted to go to the one of the few people in New Meridian he trusted, as the kind old scientest had found, protected, and taught him for the first few years after his escape from Lab Zero.

"Are you sure you remember the way to the Lab? Its been ages since we've been there. Granted, I'm not complaining about our current locale. Especially that resteraunt we went to. That fish-girl who was our waitress was hot! Wouldn't mind having a taste of that girl..."

"Okay A. think with your head between your shoulders, not your legs; B. That girl was easily twelve or thirteen, so that would be pedophilia, and C. Even ignoring that, we would then have suffered the same fate of those two guys that tried the same thing. Granted, I am curious how that girl who helped her was able to live and fight without her head, but that's a problem for another day."

"You know, all that aside, I'd still at least try. Also, I originate from your personality. So I guess that means you had some sort of interest in her too" said Fenrir, ever the one to get the last word, as well as saying things that were equal parts crude and true.

"Low blow. And maybe in a few years when she has developed. But who on earth would do something like that to a girl that young. Unlike you, I'm not depraved. Well, for the most part. Anyway, I know where we're going. Avian made sure I could always remember where to go to find his lab. Besides, he loves places like this, plenty of sunshine to allow the younger children to have some sense of happiness. He's always made sure that those under his care were always able to find some sense of hope, no matter their past."

"Yeah, he was always nice, even to me back when I was a bit of an ass."

And you're any different from then and now in what way?"

"Harde har har. Wait a minute", said Fenrir, getting a very odd feeling that prompted him to use his enhanced senses, another byproduct of the Lab's numerous experiments, "you feel that just now?"

"Yeah, it felt like the presence of the Skullgirl, but far weaker, and more internal than external. Almost like how we are. Wonder what it could be," contemplated Ragnorok

"Well its either a weak Skullgirl, someone who has been near her recently, or mayve there is yet another experiment from Lab Zero out and about. Kinda surprised, though, seeing as we didn't turn out so well. You know, for a genius, Brain Drain can be a real idiot sometimes."

"One way or the other," continued Fenrir, "we should go check it out. At worst, its just a false alarm, and we are no different from where we started. At best, though, it could be someone that we could use in order to find Lab Zero. One way or the other, we have nothing to lose."

"Sounds like a plan. Well then, it looks like we finally have a new lead. Let's begin the hunt". And with that, Ragnorok began to run, now with an actual sense of direction, and what could be the start on his path to justice.


	3. Chapter 3: The Paths Begin to Cross

**Lot less to talk about this time around. Bar the usual disclaimer, I would like to thank jazzcoatl for faving and reviewing my current chapters. Did not expect to get a fave so quickly. As for his most recent comment, I originally intended to give a more in-depth look for Ragnorok (including his past) in the previous chapter, but I realized that would be two chapters without introducing Painwheel, who in integral to the plot. I plan on giving a look at his appearance in this chapter and more about his past in the next chapter or two. With that in mind, I hope all readers enjoy.**

Chapter 3: The Paths Begin to Cross

Now that the two Lab Zero subjects are moving in the same direction, it was inevitable that they would encounter each other. As fate would have it, not only would Ragnorok arrive first to prepare to get the jump on her, but there would be a third, and fairly unexpected, person to appear as well. And it was this one chance encounter that lead to so many events to unfold.

"Are you sure something involving the Skullgirl is this way, Samson? This place doesn't really seem to fit with the other rumors we have heard, or anything we have heard about anything odd recently," Questioned the young lady known as Filia, desperate to find to the Skullheart to reclaim her lost memories, which mysteriously vanished one day.

"Come on, Filia, have a little faith in me," responded Samson, her parasite that took the form of her hair. While Filia has no memories of how he got there, they are now, both literally and metaphorically, stuck together, as Samson can only leave a host when they are close to death. Moreover, he had his own reasons for obtaining the Skullheart, and he hoped that he could somehow befriend her enough to convince her to allow him his wish of having his own body, so that he could be free to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. "I have it on good information from one of my informants that there has been strange activity originating from this way. Its one of those Anti-Skullgirl Labs, apparently. Push comes to shove, they could at least help in giving us a lead."

"So in other words, you don't really know where we're going."

"Oh, shut up. Besides, the exercise will be good for you. You need it especially."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"That all those sweets and milkshakes you have aren't doing you any favors, thunder-thighs.

"That's it, you are intolerable". And with that, the two began to quarrel with each other, Folia yanking at Samson while he was whacking her upside the head with his free tendrils.

**Meanwhile, atop a nearby building...**

How bizarre it is that while two opposites are fighting each other above, high above them that there is another pair of opposites getting along perfectly. As for their purpose, the plan was to gain higher ground in order to get a visual on the potential lead. Thus far, however, they had yet to locate it, though they could still get a general sense of the fact that whatever it is was heading this way. In the meantime, they enjoyed themselves watching the rather fascinating discussion below.

"You know, at some point before all this crap happened to me, seeing a girl fighting her sentient hair would a solid ten on my "things I never thought could be real" scale."

"And now?"

"Eh, somewhere closer to a four. Mostly it comes from the fact I am still not used to these living parasites. Which is odd, actually, as the whole existence of a parasite makes more sense if it were alive."

"Well, there weren't really that many at Lab Zero, remember? That would just have been another thing for Brain Drain to have to manipulate in the creation of his soldiers. Its far easier controlling one person with a bunch of machines inside them than a person alongside a living weapon," stated Fenrir, who always understands the combat side of things, including tactics and how to manage soldiers.

"Fair enough. I will give that man credit: for as much as I despise him, he's certainly smart enough to plan ahead for almost all potential problems."

"The obvious exception being us?"

"Of course. By the, you got a lock on the target? I still can't seem to get a good visual on it." as now that the pair below were just fighting, the young hunters opted to return to their primary goal.

"Yeah, I got her, it looks like she's heading this way. If we leave it as it, then we should she an encounter between it and the girl down below. Should we intercept it down there?" questioned Fenrir, unsure of how to handle an opponent he's never encountered before, and yet excited at the prospect of a potential target.

"Let's stay up here. We can just as easily wait and see what we're dealing with. Also, that girl seems to be fairly strong, so if it is a Skullgirl or Lab Zero member, we could wait for her to weaken whatever's coming. If things do get dicey, we'll just have to be sure to help her."

"Sounds good to me. So then," spoke Fenrir, "shall we prepare for battle ourselves?" his voice, thinly concealing his general excitement at the idea of an actual fight.

"It would be best, especially because we have no idea how long the girl below will last". And with that, Ragnorok stripped out of his trademark jacket and sweatpants, showing that he wore shorts and a plain shirt beneath his normal clothes. Without the clothes excess bulk, he was actually noticeably tall and lean, showing very little fat on his body, and his pale skin and jet black hair gave him the appearance of a young boxer. but that wasn't the only noticeable feature on him. All over his body, there were scars from the varying procedures that Lab Zero attempted on him. Also noticeable were his very veins, which stood out remarkably on his skin. Finally, looking at his arms, you could see plainly the main reason as to why he wore a jacket, for in each arm were five long, thin nails, making for ten in total. Of these, he proceeded to remove four.

"I think about 40% should be good for a start, don't you?"

"Yeah," and the pair could only grin as their body began to alter, now growing more muscular, as well as the nails on his hands and feet begin to extend to more resemble the claws of an animal. Along with this, his teeth gradually, and painfully, changed so that they were more like fangs than normal teeth. Finally, one odd change was that his hair began to grow, so that it now reached to about his shoulders.

"Oh, I so never get tired of that" said Fenrir

"Me too, its such a thrill to finally let loose. Well, that just leaves one final touch." and with that, the two halves began the process of combining back to their original personality again, complete with the trademark contrasting eyes.

"Well, now that I'm all ready to go, all that's left to do is wait" spoke the new voice, glad to finally be out to actually do something.

**And with that, I have finally concluded chapter**. **Hope that this helped to explain a few things I forgot. Also, finally introduced Filia, so with that, all the major characters have been introduced, Now, I will finally be able to focus on the main storyline, rather than character introductions/explanations.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Fateful Encounter

**Well, here we go now, chapter 4. Before I start, apologies for the gap in my update time frame. I had a busy weekend, so I could not work as much as I usually would. Hopefully, I will be able to consistently upload once every few days**

Chapter 4: The Fateful Encounter

_Why can't you hear my voice for just one second? _pleaded Carol to her body, hoping that the distance from Lab Zero would allow her voice to finally reach her conscious mind. Sadly, even outside his mental range, Brain Drain's thorough transformation of Carol's mind into Painwheel left the two parts almost entirely disconnected from each other. Try as she might, all Painwheel heard would be like to much static and white noise. It would take a miracle for the young girl to get a word out. How convenient then that a miracle would come in the form of an old friend.

_Wait a second. That girl looks familiar. No, wait, it couldn't be... _and with some effort, Carol was able to remember events from her previous life, as she was desperately searching for someone's face. After some searching, she found it, and with that, she confirmed the identity of the girl in front of her.

_I'm sure of it. The hair may be a different color, but that has to be Filia. Not sure why her hair is like that, but I can just ask her. Wait... _She had just noticed her own body was starting to approach Filia, as well as preparing itself for a battle to silence a potential threat. _No, I refuse. I don't care how many others would die in the process, I refuse to hurt my one true friend. _And with a burst of willpower not seen before, Carol finally said the first words that were actually hers out of Painwheel's mouth.

"Filia! Filia, it-it's me Carol."

"What?" And it was then that Filia saw that the source of the voice was rapidly approaching her. It was what looked like a young girl her age, but horrendously mutilated. Not only that, but it did not look like she had eaten a decently meal in a long time. Despite that, there were clear muscles on her body. The things that were most striking, however, were her mask the varying weapons protruding from her body. She would have just attacked someone like this normally, but what the assailant said had sounded somewhat familiar to her.

"Carol? That name seems familiar, somehow. Oh" She groaned, as a sudden head ache had arisen, and with it, she began feel faint images of her past begin to appear in her head. A school, a bunch of bullies, and the face of a young girl she had many times called best friend. But before she could piece these images together, Painwheel had begun her attack. Just in the nick of time, however, Samson formed a shield, blocking the pinwheel that would have sliced Filia in two otherwise.

"Kid, you've gotta focus. This girl seems to actually have some fight in her."

"But Samson, I'm confused. This girl seems to know me. I am getting flashes of images in my head, but I can't place them. Do you have any clue who this is?"

"I, er- I don't know. Beyond that, this girl is clearly insane, so why worry about whatever she is saying. For now, we need to focus on fighting."

"Ok, but we should be sure to look into this at some point." and with that the battle began.

Anyone who saw the fight would have said it was amazing. Now that Filia had finally found her bearings, she attacked by having Samson encompass her, and then produce spikes, forming a massive spike ball, which collided against Painwheel, moderatly damaging her. She followed this up by knocking Painwheel into the air with Samson's help, then proceeded to follow her upwards to get a few hits on her.

It was in the air, however, that Painwheel was able to counter attack, using the Buer Drive to grab Filia with her Buer Drive, followed by a throw straight into the ground. With this, both fighters were now on roughly even ground, with Painwheel using her Buer Drive to attack after using her Gae Bolga to seal Filia's movements, while Filia used Samson's varying transformations in order to counter Buer's fast attacks. The fight was a near stalemate up until the point that Painwheel used her weapon to swipe at Filia's feet, knocking her off balance. From then on, it was an onslaught, with Samson just barely able to protect Filia from taking serious damage.

Finally, the damage was too much, and Filia fell to the ground, panting and at the point of near exhaustion. Samson was not faring much better, and he now hung low, rendering Filia totally defenseless. With this, Painwheel prepared her strongest attack, now moving the Buer Drive at high speeds to tackle Filia with it. But just as Painwheel was about to connect with her devastating attack...

*Clap*

The person standing upon the roof suddenly appeared, and clapped his hands together, stopping the Buer Drive mid attack. While he was able to stop the attack, the ground beneath his feet ended up cracking in the process. Despite this, he spoke to Filia while holding Painwheel's blade.

"Sorry I'm a tad late in assisting you. It takes a while to get down from a building, especially if you want to avoid being seen by an opponent. Regardless, you have my apologies for your suffering". And with that, he nimbly threw Painwheel a fair distance away, despite of the fact that Painwheel's combined weight of over 500 pounds. Suffice it to say, Filia was quite stunned.

"Who-who are you?"

"Me?" spoke the young man with a grin. "I've had several names by this point, but for now, just call me Aiden. It's a pleasure to meet you".

**Finally done with this chapter. Again, sorry for the wait, but along with the wait, it took me a while to figure out the style for my fight scenes. By the way, any opinions on those would be nice, as I hope to improve on those later on. And finally, the name for my character's true form has finally been given. Plan on explaining that coming up soon. Well, hope you all enjoy.**


	5. Chapter 5: The Past and Present Collide

**Here we are now, the next chapter. Sorry to end the last one at a cliffhanger, but had I gone any longer, it would have been a giant chapter, and I am trying to hold out on those until I am closer to the end. With that said, let's continue. **

Chapter 5: The Past and Present Collide

"Ai-Aiden"? It was still taking a moment for Filia to recover from her previous beating, so she was unsure as to if the person in front of her was really there. It didn't help that he seemed thoroughly strange to her, even considering all of the odd things you tend to see in New Meridian.

"Technically Aiden Donovan, though I do wish that is the only name I could be called by. I am also called Ragnarök, Fenrir, Subject 13, and on occasion, Vile Monster". Despite the destruction around him, as well as the fact that Painwheel beginning to recover, the young man was focusing solely on Filia. It was then that he proceeded to pick Filia up, much to Samson's chagrin, and move her to a nearby alley. This meant that she would be protected from the fight, while still being able to see everything that happens.

"Again, you have my humble apologies for not aiding you sooner."

"Well why weren't you faster, you asshole," was Samson's reply, showing that he still had his course tongue despite being exhausted. That being said, all he could do at this point was complain. Sadly, Aiden was also a tad argumentative when annoyed.

"Well I'm sorry, but I didn't feel like rushing into a fight against an opponent I'm unfamiliar with."

So in other words, you're a wuss."

"No, I'm just a tactician"

"Wuss, tactician, those words mean the same thing to me"

"Hence why you're the one who couldn't even protect his partner just now."

"You take that back, you little-"

"Sorry to interrupt your fight, but I think that girl is getting back up." As enjoyable as it was to have Samson yell at someone beside her, she could See that Painwheel was upright again, and looked like she was ready for round two. With this, Filia got up to fight as well, but she only got up about halfway before she fell over, only avoiding crashing into the ground by Aiden catching her.

"I moved you here for a reason. That last assault on you did a lot of damage. For now, you should just rest here."

"But-but"

"Don't worry. In case you've forgotten, I am quite strong. Also, it would go against everything I believe in as a gentleman to let a lady such as yourself get hurt." While these words were kind to Filia, Samson could only respond with his typical sarcastic tone.

"Oh, spare me. Do you really think that 'gentleman' routine is going to work at all?" retorted Samson.

"It's not a routine, it's a lifestyle. Anyway, leave this girl to me, and afterwards, I have a couple of questions I need to ask you. But for now, I ask that you rest." And with that, Aiden promptly walked outside of the alley, ready to face his opponent

Filia contemplated this for a Aiden seemed nice enough, she was unsure of if she could trust him, even if her amnesia would leave him very little to ask her that she could really answer. So, without anyone better to ask, she consulted Samson.

"I'm not sure what we should do here Samson. What do you think we should do?"

"What we should do, kid, is prepare to run away when the fight ends."

"But why?"

"Look, he may be confident, but that other girl just whooped both of our asses. Besides..." Samson paused, trying to explain the next part in the best way possible. "I get this odd feeling off the guy."

"Odd?"

"Its hard to explain, but if feels like he is constantly at the edge between sanity and madness. I think if we stick around him, he could end up hurting us."

"Samson, are you sure. He doesn't seem that-"

"Kid, please. Just trust me on this one."

Filia was rather surprised. Samson is not the kind of person to say please. For him to do so, he must have been desperate.

"Ok. When the fight ends, I'll be ready to run."

**Meanwhile, on the main street...**

"Sorry about that, but I wanted to ensure that we could have our fight uninterrupted. By the way, I have a question before we start: is the original girl still in control?"

"Go to Hell!" was Painwheel's response, followed by her launching several Gae Bolga Stingers, one of which hit Aiden, doing a fair bit of damage on his left arm. This was proven to be moot, however, as his body quickly healed the wound.

"Thought not. But I had to be sure, it means that I have far less of a reason to hold back on you. But," stated Aiden" I have one other question: Where is Lab Zero?" This question did not result in positive results either, as now Painwheel launched herself at him, but this time he was prepared, and proceeded to grab her by the tail connecting the Beur Drive to her body. After that, he proceeded to fling her to the ground several times, and with a great heave, flung her straight up into the air. What he didn't expect was the Beur Drive spinning like a helicopter blade, allowing her to remain in the air to recover.

"Well that was...unexpected. On the plus side, at least this makes things more fun. So," said Aiden, now entering his fighting stance, which is similar to Muay Thai, except that he held his hands half open, allowing him to use his claws, "Let's fight." And with that, the true battle began.

Painwheel began the assault by launching out her Buer Thresher, but Aiden quickly dodged out of the way. Then, before she could retract her spears, he used one as a spring to jump above her, followed by a kick to the center of her back, sending her crashing to the ground, but before Aiden could get in his dive kick, Painwheel rolled out of the way. This left Aiden stuck in the ground long enough for Painwheel to grab him with the Buer Drive, followed by a hard punch, two consecutive times.

"I'll admit" said Aiden with a groan, as his body was now having work to recover from the injuries, "that actually hurt a little." And with that, he began laughing, clearly enjoying his current situation despite his injuries. "I have to thank you. This is the first real fight I've had in a good while. Though you will have to forgive me, I thuroughly underestimated you, so allow me to use a more fitting amount of power." And with a loud roar, he removed two more nails from his body, which enhanced his strength even more, as well as causing his hair to grow even longer, now reaching halfway down his back.

"Sixty. Sixty percent should make this a far more entertaining fight." He then proceeded to leap straight at Painwheel, fist ready to punch. However, just as Painwheel was ready to block, he stepped to the side, being behind her as if he had teleported there. Leaving her no time to react, Aiden proceeded to send a sharp elbow to her back, both damaging her and sending her flying. He didn't stop there however, as before she got too far away, he launched her into the air with an uppercut, followed closely by several kicks and slashes with his claws, ending the combo with a kick aimed straight at her chest. Before it connected, however, Painwheel sent a quick strike with the Gae Bolga, which stopped his attack. And with that, both sent out a strong air combo, Aiden with his claws, and Painwheel with her Beur Drive, both of which connected. This resulted in both taking hits, sending the pair to the ground, each one now panting.

Looking upwards at a nearby clock, Aiden saw that it was 6:20, meaning that he had already spent his time in his combined state for a full 20 minutes. _This is bad, _he thought. _I've spent too much time fighting this girl, especially because I need five minutes to get that girl in the alley over to Lab Zero. Granted, she might have recovered enough to walk there by now. Wait, is she still there?_ So Aiden spared a glance to the alley, and saw that Filia was still there, noticeably healed and clearly ready to move. _Probably waiting for one of us to win so that she can run. No doubt about it, I have to end this fight soon so that I can convince that girl that she can trust me. I was hoping to avoid assaulting her mentally, but its the only way._

So without any alternative, he leapt straight at her, while also reaching out towards her with his mind, so that he could properly restrain her. When he got inside her head, however, he was surprised by what he heard.

_Please don't hurt me._

_Wait, what? _This shock resulted in Aiden lowering his guard for a moment, giving Painwheel ample time to whack him with the Beur Drive, sending him a fair distance away. _So it wasn't a fluke, _he thought, _The original personality is still alive in there somewhere. Maybe I can talk with her. _This time around Aiden kept moving around her, but still connected with her mind enough to communicate with her.

**In Carol's Mind...**

_Please, just run off so we can stop fighting. _Spoke carol, expecting no reply towards her outcry against violence. So imagine her shock when someone actually did say something back.

_Sorry, but I have a few questions I desperately need to ask you. But I wish I didn't have to hurt you. I believe I remember you telling that other girl before your name was Carol?_

_Wait, who are you, and why is it that you can even hear me? _Asks Carol, clearly confused over being talked to by someone for the first time in years.

_My name is Aiden, and I happen to be able to use my brain in unique ways. But more on that later, I have some questions to ask you, and not enough time to explain myself. If your willing to trust me, I can help you maybe even heal your mind._

_Really _said Carol, contemplating for a moment the idea of being able to live as a normal girl again. _But wait, _she asks, _Why should I even trust you? _Carol was fairly sharp, and considering the fight they had, she had fair reason to hesitate.

_Because I'm a Lab Zero subject as well. Well, former subject. But trust may, I would never do anything that would intentionally help them. Also, I swear that I would never try to hurt someone if I didn't have a choice. Please, I know I may not be making the best case, but I need you to trust me, so that we can stop Lab Zero from hurting anyone else. _

Carol considered what he said, but seeing that he had a mutual dislike for Lab Zero, she felt like it would be good to trust him.

_Ok, I'll trust you._

_Great, though I must apologize._

_For what?_

_This, sadly_, and in the real world, Aiden dashed straight up to Painwheel, and proceeded to knee her hard in the stomach, knocking the air out of her, as well as knocking her unconscious. In the process, her mask fell off her face, revealing what she really looked like.

"Wow, even with the scars on her face, she's actually kind of pretty. Well great, now I feel even worse over having to do that. Wait, what's that weird noise" and once again looking towards the alleyway, he saw that something weird was happening with Filia. She was holding her head, and looked like she was in an intense amount of pain.

**Back in the Alley...**

"Kid, what's wrong?" Asked Samson, showing a rare amount of genuine concern for his own partner. Even being only attached to her, he knew something was happening.

"My head. It feels like its splitting open." It was the oddest thing. The moment that Filia saw Painwheel's face, several memories from her past started flowing into her head all at once. She could clearly see the girl Painwheel was, now remembering her name was Carol, and that they were even best friends. Even stranger, she remembered that her hair is in fact naturally blond. Just as fast as they flowed, however, it felt as if something was trying to repress these, and the contrasting force resulted in the intense amount of pain. Eventually, the strain became too much, and Filia fell to the ground. Thankfully, Samson was now mostly healed, and used his tendrils to stop her from hitting her head on the wall.

"Easy now. You okay there kid?" Noticing that his jeering did not obtain the normal reaction, he took a closer look at his partner, and noticed that she had passed out just like Painwheel.

"Filia? What the heck happened?"

"I've seen something like this once before." said Aiden, who was now carrying with him a recently remasked Painwheel, and carefully set her down. He then proceeded to move to a nearby trashcan where he had put his clothes in an airtight bag. While he was changing into his normal clothes, he began explaining:

"If I have to guess, this girl has amnesia. Her memories must have triggered by something, probably this young lady here, but there seems to be something surpressing her mind. Inevitably, she couldn't take the shock, so she passed out. On a side note, the girl's thighs are not that big, and it was rude to suggest that."

"Wait, how did you know about the thigh joke?"

"I was listening in on that conversation you had before," said Fenrir nonchalantly. He had just finished changing, and proceeded to put in all but two of the nails back into his arm. This power reduction left him with only a little muscle relatively, as well as his hair now shortening down to what could be considered passable for a guy. "And seeing as we are both heading in the same direction, you could do me a great help by carrying yourself and that girl to Lab Eight with me."

"And why in the hell should I do that?"

"Because I might be able to help this girl with her amnesia, as well at this Lab Zero subject. If we can take care of these two, I can get closer to finding Lab Zero, and you will have a good chance of getting whatever it is you want the Skullheart for."

"Wait, how did you know-"

"It seemed suspicious. Granted, the Skullheart would bring back her memories, but why make that your first choice when you could easily find other ways to deal with amnesia? Clearly, you have some sort of wish, and you're hoping that by helping the girl, you might convince her to make the wish for you."

Samson was stuck. The boy had hit it dead on the nail, only missing one bit of information he never could have known. He knew there was no point in trying to disagree with him, especially because he seemed strong enough to take him, especially with an unconscious Filia, by force.

"Do you promise you won't hurt Filia?"

"On my honor as a man, at least as long as you don't hurt this young lady here" and with that, Aiden picked up Painwheel bridal-style, as it would allow him to move fast without dropping her. Samson, meanwhile, moved two of his tendrils so that they could act as a second set of legs.

"Deal. Well, let's get going then." Now that both were ready, they set off, each one hoping that they would be able to find what they were looking for at Lab Eight. Meanwhile, both of the girls were thinking of the other, and the bond that they once shared, though Filia was still trying to fight whatever was blocking her memories. On all minds, conscious or otherwise, the same thought was occurring to them:

How is this all going to end?


	6. Chapter 6: The Wolf vs The Bird

**Here we are now at chapter 6, and sorry for the wait, but moving stuff has happened, and that has taken up quite a bit of time. Before I do anything else, I want to point out some of the character's ages, as that is going to come up in the next few chapters. So Filia, Carol, Aiden, Leduc, and Hive are all 18, give or take a couple months; Peacock and Marie are 13, Big Band is 44, Valentine is 30, Avian is 90, and I'm going to hold off on revealing Brain Drain's age, as that requires a bit of an explanation that occurs later on. If you want to complain about potential inaccuracies, please find a nearby shredder and lodge all complaints there. And I'm not even going to guess Double's age, as that character is basically immortal. And yes, I am basically saying what characters are in this story, but that shouldn't be a major problem, and most of these seemed inevitable. Well, let's continue where we left off.**

Chapter 6: The Wolf vs The Bird

In most cases, five minutes wouldn't seem like a very long span on time. When two people are arguing endlessly, however, it can seem to go on for an eternity. This was the reason why Samson and Aiden barely noticed that five minutes had passed, meaning that Aiden had been himself for thirty minutes, right as they were nearing a massive door under a bridge just outside of Little Innsmouth, and served as the main entrance for Lab 8. It was still ongoing, even as Aiden was setting the still unconscious Painwheel down for a moment to knock on the door, and Samson was using his tendrils to lower himself and Filia down, an effort that was fairly easy with Filia still out of commission as well.

"I still don't see why you didn't just jump from the building you were on top of."

"Like I said, It would have taken to long to regenerate the damage that a 10 story fall would cause. Also, I needed to put my change of clothes somewhere."

"But you still would have survived, so a bit of a lame excuse."

"Look, you clearly wouldn't... Ah!" All of a sudden, Aiden grabbed the sides of his head, clearly in pain. Along with that, both his eyes were now flickering both colors, one moment white and blue, the next red and black. "Crap, looks like my time's up."

"What are you even talking about?"

"Look, I don't have time to explain, so put simply, a different part of me is going to be taking over for a little while. But we all share the same memories, so you should be fine, and our promise will still be in effect."

"I still don't get what's going on, but as long as Filia is OK, I don't care."

To this Aiden laughed, in spite of how much pain he was in. This came off as very odd to Samson.

"What's so funny?"

"Its just that," Said Aiden, his voice now alternating, "You only ever seem to call her 'Kid' to her face. I wonder why that is?" And with that, Aiden finally split his mind apart, both of his eyes now their more natural white and blue coloration.

"That's none of your business. Anyway, what about all your secrets, 'Aiden', if that even is your real name."

"It isn't right now." Samson was shocked, as the person in front of him had just started speaking in a far higher tone, and he had just noticed the eye change.

"Who are you, then?"

"Ragnorok. That's the name I have when I am like this."

_And I am Fenrir._ This was even stranger, as now Samson heard a deep voice, but this one was clearly coming from his head

"What- How?"

"Trust us, you'll have all the answers you want shortly. But first, let's see if the Doctor is in." But before Ragnorok could even make it to the door, he felt the oddest sensation of something creamy on the back of his head, followed shortly by a very hard pan hitting him, which sent him flying.

When Ragnorok looked up to find the source of the assault, he noticed that there was a new person among them, and even among them, she was rather odd. She was a young girl, barely a teenager, and wore a full skirt dress, along with a top hat and a bow, all of which were this odd crimson/purple color. But the strangest part was the location of her eyes. Where a person's eyes would normally be, there were instead just holes, and instead she had robotic arms with eyes that clearly served as a way to let her see. Completing this overall strange image was a carrot, which she was eating, and proceeded to use her own version of a famous character's catchphrase.

" Ehh _Chomp Chomp Chomp, _What's up dork?"

"I thought it was 'up doc'." Said Ragnorok, who had now found his bearings, and was clearly quite agitated over getting hit by a pie.

"Doc, dork, I still plan on whooping your keester either way."

"Look, miss, I don't want any trouble. All I want to do is talk to Dr. Avian. I don't mean any harm."

"Well too bad, 'cause harm is coming your way." And with that, Peacock proceeded to punch Ragnorok square in the chest, injuring him yet again. This time, when Ragnorok got up, his eyes flickered for a moment, clearly itching for a fight.

"Oh, little girl, you really don't get on my bad side. I'm not so nice when I get angry."

"Neither am I. And my name isn't 'Little Girl'. Its Peacock. Now, Go!" And with that, Peacock launched a flying bomb right at the group, and Ragnorok took the blast, knowing that letting Samson block it could hurt Filia in the process. On the plus side, it did a very small amount of damage, and that healed quickly. Downside was that it also blew a hole in his shirt, and that was the final straw for him. With a growl, Ragnorok switched places with Fenrir, causing his eyes to turn his trademark red and black, and he also proceeded to strip down to his battle gear for the second time in as many hours.

"That's it, you've officially pissed me off. That jacket was a gift from someone dear to me."

"That ratty old thing?" The ensuing silence was practically suffocating, as Fenrir went from annoyed to outright berserk, and promptly proceeded to remove four nails from his arm, totaling to six in total, as he had already removed two to more easily carry Painwheel.

"Oh, you should not have gone there. Before, I was just going to hurt you, but now I'm going to slaughter you." And with that and his transformation complete, he leapt straight at Peacock, leaving his nails on the ground on top of his clothes.

Samson was rather shocked. The person fighting in front of him acted almost entirely different from the person that had admittedly saved Filia minutes ago. While the basic style was the same, it was far more reckless. For a start, in spite of all the explosives and guns launched at him, he kept moving forward, regardless of how bad he was being injured. Instead, he focused entirely on offense, attacking Peacock as many times as possible, though he seemed to prefer using his claws in lieu of normal punches and kicks. With this more aggressive nature, he was able to match Peacock's more hit-and-run strategy, though neither one could really get a solid hit on the other. That was until Peacock moved a fair distance away, and threw a bunch of explosives that forced Fenrir to stop for a moment. With a moment to prepare, she opened the top of her hat, which revealed a peacock-like head popping up, and on top of this was a rather strange bird.

"Argus-" and from the robotic head, she fired a large lazer, which both hurt and stunned him.

"Oh, man that bit."

"Agony!" Following the previous blast, she revealed she also had a large tail full of eyes, which proceeded to bombard him with laser bullets, totaling in for quite a bit of damage. Even with his healing, Fenrir had amassed a fair bit of damage by this point.

"That's it. I am done with you and your aggravating keep-away game. I'm gonna end this now!" And Fenrir motioned to his remaining nails, and was about to pull them all out, until he heard a voice he hadn't heard in years.

"Fenrir, Peacock, you both need to stop right now!"

Both of the fighters stopped, and now that they looked around, they saw two things. The first was the copious amount of collateral they had caused. The other was that Dr. Avian, along with Iluem, Big Band (known to some as Ben), and the younger subjects were all outside, looking somewhat frightened at the conflict they had just seen, even though they all still hung just outside of the entrance into the Lab. Fenrir quickly transitioned back into Ragnorok, as he was always better when talking to Avian.

"Doc..."

"Mr. Avian, sir..."

"I'm going to ignore for a moment the fact that Fenrir is back..." said Dr. Avian, to which Ragnorok was quick to interrupt.

"Uh, technically I am currently Ragnorok." This however earned only a glare from Dr. Avian, who promptly continued his scolding.

"And instead just ask what on earth compelled you two to have such a destructive fight, especially this close to the Lab. What would have happened if some innocent bystander had passed by. Someone could have seriously gotten hurt."

"But he looked like a threat..."

"She started it..."

"Enough! You two are both supposed to act as a symbol of the best defense the world has against supernatural threats. You are supposed to be fighting the Skullgirl, not each other." To this, Ragnorok and Peacock could only stare at the ground, ashamed that they had disappointed Avain. Even though Ragnorok hadn't seen Avain in years, he still looked up to the man like a father, so every word of disappointment hit like a car. As for Peacock, the man had saved her, even given her sight back when it seemed like she would never see again, as well as give her the closest thing she had ever had to a home, so it hurt just as bad. This left the pair both feeling guilty, and they both looked right at each other.

"We really messed up, didn't we?"

"Big time, little- I mean Peacock." And with that, the pair faced Dr. Avian, by this point each was barely suppressing tears, and together they said something that he never expected either, especially Peacock, to ever say.

"We're sorry Dr. Avian. We were reckless, and we feel terrible for disappointing you so much."

To say Avian was stunned would have been an understatement. Neither one ever had a personality that would normally allow them to apologize for something, even if it was their fault. Granted, Ragnorok had been gone for four years, so he could have mellowed out, but Peacock rarely felt bad for anything, even if she hurt someone. Feeling like they now needed to be consoled, he walked right up to them, and patted them on the head.

"Its all right. I just want all of the subjects here, you two included, to be more than just weapons to fight the Skullgirl. I want you all to be able to live normal lives outside of the Lab, and to have the right to be people again." He paused for a moment, allowing what he said to sink in for both of them. "Now come on in, with the arrival of Fenrir, there is clearly much to discuss."

Now knowing that Dr. Avian was not about to punish them, they both began to move to take care of their businesses, with Peacock going right inside, while Ragnorok went over to to Filia, Painwheel, and his clothes, and it was here that Dr. Avain noticed something: in spite of how much collateral that they had caused, nowhere around where that group was had even a scorch mark. This was truly impressive: for someone like the reckless Fenrir, who had obviously done the fighting, to ensure that something around him was spared any damage, showed that he had obtained a larger amount of self-control. It was then that he noticed the two people that he was bringing with him, or more specifically Painwheel. While the Buer Drive was clearly visible, he had to search for a moment before he confirmed the other Parasite, which meant two, a feat that only one other had achieved.

"This girl-could she be..."

"The newest Lab Zero subject. She was clearly on her way here. It seems that what we have always feared has finally come to pass."

"You mean..."

"Yes: It looks like Lab Zero has now found you obsolete, and I doubt he would be foolish enough to only send one subject. We should plan on Valentine's arrival, possibly with other powerful subjects to support her."

"I-I always prepared if he did, but I never assumed..."

"What? That Brain Drain would get sentimental and not attack. I knew him for only two years, and even I know that man lacks a shred of humanity." said Ragnorok, as he put in all but two nails so that he could continue to carry Painwheel into the Lab.

"I suppose you are right. so why bring the girl here? Why not just destroy what is now being called 'Lab Zero's magnum opus'?" The look on Ragnorok's face was one of pure empathy towards Painwheel, and it was clear that on some level, he cared about her.

"Because while I hate Brain Drain, I have to hope that those he has experimented on can be saved. After all" he said with a grin, "look at how I turned out."

"Yes, I suppose you have turned out for the better. It even seems like you and Fenrir have actually learned to work together. What did you do after you left?" he asked Ragnorok

"Soul-searching, with a bit of tragedy and action mixed in. I'll tell you later, but for now, we have to take care of this girl, as well as the other one over there." And with that, he pointed at Filia, who despite all the ruckus the fight created, was still unconscious. Who was conscious was Samson, who was clearly baffled that Dr. Avian and Ragnorok knew each other. However, their next words set his mind at ease.

"There should be room in the med-bay for that girl, right? She's just unconscious, and that seems as good a place as any for her to wake up in"

"Yes, there should be, and I'll have Iluem and Ben take them there." And with that, he beckoned the pair over, and they were clearly excited over Ragnorok's return, even if they opted to first crack a joke at his expense.

"My, my." Said Iluem. "Only 18, and he's already bringing a girl home with him." This caused Ragnorok to blush deeply, earning a chuckle from the group, even Dr. Avian.

"Wow, she was just joking, but by that expression, it seems like he actually does like her." said Big Band. While this also made Ragnorok feel awkward, this time he was prepared with a response.

"And what about you two?" said Ragnorok, alternating looks at the pair. "I left four years ago, and even then you were making lovey-eyes at each other. By this time, you should already be together." Their response was so good, he wished that someone had a camera, as the two looked awkwardly at each other, then down, then back towards each other for several moments. All the while, they were awkwardly stuttering things like:

"Well"

"You see"

"It would feel weird"

"It would be unprofessional"

By the end, Ragnorok, Dr. Avian, and Peacock, who had joined the group by this point, were all laughing themselves sore. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Ragnorok continued.

"In all seriousness, it is good to see you guys again. By the way, Illuem, before I forget, I'm sorry to say that I ended up damaging those clothes you gave me." He said, pointing at the clothes, which were left on the ground. Bending over, Iluem grabbed the clothes, and examined them. Alongside general wear and tear, she noticed the giant hole in the middle of his shirt.

"Would you care to explain how this happened?"

"That would be me!" said Peacock, seeming to take a bit of pride in the destruction. After reading the situation for a moment, however, she promptly felt a tad embarrassed. "Sorry about that, by the way."

"Its fine. They were getting a bit ratty, anyway."

"Tell you what," said Iluem. "Why don't you give those to me, and I'll have them sewn up and adjusted for length. After all, you seem to have grown a bit in four years.

"Really? Thanks so much, Illuem. By the way, do you think you could lend me a hand Ben? The parasites this girl has in her make her weigh half a ton.

"Now Ragnorok, is it really that good of an idea to say a girl is heavy, especially if-"

"Will you give it a rest already!"

"Ha ha, sorry, but I couldn't resist one more jab. Anyway, I'll be glad to lend a hand." said Ben, carefully grabbing and holding Painwheel carefully in his arms, almost as if she were made out of glass. With that, Ragnorok looked around, and he noticed that Samson still had yet to move.

"Just follow us. We plan on taking both of you over to the med-bay, and it would be a lot easier for all of us if you just walked yourself and Filia over there."

With a moment's hesitation, Samson proceeded to get up, and used his tendrils to yet again move Filia over to the Lab doors, and all the secrets that laid inside.

**Finally done. As I said, sorry for the long wait, but I had moving stuff going on. Hoping to avoid that causing more schedule delays, but it may happen. On a side note, I have recently made a poll for the next story, and you can see and vote on it right on my profile page. Results will close when I am closer to completing this book. As ever, read, review, and stay classy people.**


	7. Chapter 7: The Old Friends Reunite

**Here we are, now, Chapter 7. Only two things to note this time. Firstly, I forgot to state that Iluem is 45, and talking of age, anyone notice the little gag I have with Big Band's age? Second thing, I'm interested in a Beta Reader, and if anyone would like to help, I'd always be willing to hear some extra input. Main thing I could use some help on is the romantic element of this and future stories, and plan on doing several other things besides Skullgirls. Please PM me if your interested.**

Chapter 7: The Old Friends Reunite

The youngest of Lab 8's subjects were surprised by the events outside, to say the least. They had never seen most of the new arrivals, especially due to the fact that the only one of them had been a previous member before, and he'd left before most of them had even arrived at the Lab. Some of the older members, however, had been around long enough to know who he was, and they were ecstatic at Ragnorok's arrival. One of them, a young girl 12 years old with long black hair that sported an overall demented look walked up, and was actually grinning, which was a rarity for her.

"Your back! Big Brother Fen is back!" When Ragnorok noticed the girl, he grinned, and knelt down on one knee so that he was eye level with her.

"Well well, if it isn't little Alice. You seem to have grown a bit since last I saw you." And with that, he ruffled her hair, which furtherly made her grin.

"Wait, who are those other two with you?"

Their some people who ended up getting hurt, and need somewhere to rest. As for why Ben's carrying the girl, its because she is sleeping right now. The other one is too, but she has a friend with her to do the job himself." It was then that Alice noticed that it was not the girl who was moving, but her hair, which had the oddest mouth on top. She stared at it for a few moments, up until it started yelling at her.

"Back away a few steps girly. I am not something to stare at." Seeing that his yelling was ineffective, he proceeded to make a horrendous face and roared. "Roaaah!" That didn't work so well, either, and instead it caused Alice to just laugh. It wasn't just him, as Dr. Avian and the other Lab 8 residents were laughing as well.

"Its pretty futile trying to scare her, or most of Lab 8's residents. We've seen stuff that would give normal people nightmares, and freaking each other out is a bit of a regular occurrence. Most of us even find it amusing."

Samson was at a loss, and he had no clue how to react to someone that he couldn't intimidate. All he could do was just stay silent and move away, waiting for them to continue along to the med-bay. It was then that Alice remembered the other person that came with him.

"But what about the other person? And why is it that Ben is carrying her?" Ragnorok was stunned for a moment, then remembered the fact that Alice was always an oddly knowing girl, able to understand concepts like death and aging when she was only 7.

"She's a lot like me, and is here for the same reason I got here." While she was still grinning, she soon started to frown, clearly worrying about something.

"Does that mean she'll end up going away, like you?" Before Ragnorok could even answer, a voice he hadn't heard in years spoke, and clearly wasn't pleased.

"Yes, will you abandon us, and not even say a word again?" Ragnorok looked, and saw the source of the voice, and he took a breath as the sight of her. She was a decently tall girl, with a beelike dress, helped by its black and yellow colors, which oddly accented her blue-green eyes and purple hair. The only truly odd thing about her was this mark on her forehead, and looked like three scars pointing right at the center of her head. Next to her was another boy from his past, and he was even odder. He had spiky blond hair, which gave off the feeling of lightning, and served as an excellent accent to his electric-blue eyes. His most notable feature was that his arms and legs were mechanical, and featured copper wires all around them, and served as an odd contrast to his clothes, which featured X's all over the place, and gave off a far more subdued feel than his appendages.

"Hive, Leduc..." Said Ragnorok, as he stood up to face the pair. That proved to be a futile effort, as Hive proceeded to walk right up to him, and slapped him with a strength that did not seem to match her fairly slim frame. So strong was it, in fact, that it actually sent Ragnorok straight to the floor. Everyone was surprised by this, even Leduc, who was clearly thinking they were just going to scold him.

"Hive..."

"No! Don't you even dare try to stop me! You were hurting just as bad when he left. And you!" Hive said, now facing Ragnorok again. "How dare you come crawling back here after four years. Left without a word, and coming back without one either. Do you have the gall to think that you can just come and go as you please?" While there was clearly anger in her voice, Ragnorok could tell that there was something else behind it, and that was evident even without using his powers. Because of this, he was not too surprised when he heard what came next.

"Why did you leave us? And why couldn't you have least told us, and not just have Doc and Ben tell us the next day? Did the two years we spent as friends mean nothing to you? Do we really mean that little to you?" Hive said, now practically on the verge of tears. It was then that Ragnorok rose from the ground, face still red from Hive's slap, and grabbed the two in his arms, while looking at them dead in the eyes.

"Its because I cared about you both so much that I couldn't tell you to your faces. I see that was a mistake on my part, and for that I'm sorry." Hive was thoroughly confused, to say the least.

"Wait...What? How does that make any sense?"

"Because I needed to leave, though I never intended to be gone for so long. I meant for it to only take a year at most. Also, I never could find a way to contact the Lab while I was on my travels."

"You still could have told us when you first left." said Hive, tears now beginning to fall, and both Leduc and Ragnorok were getting watery-eyed as well.

"I had no other choice. It nearly killed me leaving at all, and if I'd told you guys goodbye, I'm not sure I ever could have left."

"Then why didn't you just stay."

"Because I had something to take care of, and I had to do it no matter what. Besides, now that I've taken care of it, I only have one thing left to do."

"And after that?" asked Leduc, speaking up for the first time, and his voice revealed he was just as sad as Hive, and he was just using his uncanny ability to keep his emotions in check when the situation demanded it. Now that he was sure how they both felt, Ragnorok put them even closer to him, so now they were all in a closely knit hug.

"After that, I'll be back here, the one true place I can truly call home, and this time, I'll be here for good." It was then that the group could no longer contained themselves, and they began to sob into each others arms. Soon, however, the sobs began to mix in with laughter.

The overall atmosphere of the room was one of a heartfelt return, as this act amongst everything else helped to solidify that Ragnorok was back. The only one who frown at this was Dr. Avian, the one man who was told why he had left in the first place.

_So then,_ he thought, _it seems like his other return did not go as planned. how terribly tragic. I suppose that now, this is the only place he has left._ Dr. Avian sighed at this, but he knew that he meant every word he had said outside, and was glad for at least that. In fact, the whole affair would have gone on for longer, up until the point that Painwheel muttered something in her sleep.

"No, please. Don't make me kill again."

Despite how quiet this was, most of the people were able to hear what she said. Hive was the first to react.

"Ok, I'll bite: in all honesty, who is that girl, and why did she have to kill?" With this, Ragnorok broke their hug, and examined Painwheel, who was still asleep in Big Band's arms, thankfully.

"Like I said before, she's a former Lab Zero subject called Painwheel, and I can guess that they would have wanted to be certain that she would follow their orders, no matter what. With time, however, I'm hoping that she'll be able to be one of us, and maybe even be a part of the group." Ragnorok looked straight at his old friends, clearly waiting for their reaction. the other two looked at each other for a moment, then smiled at Ragnorok.

"Sure." said Leduc. "Any friend of yours is a friend of ours."

"Besides," said Hive, "it would be nice to have a girl my age around here. No offense to you two, but being around guys all day could get annoying. Even after you left, Ragnorok, there have still been too few a number of girls around for my taste."

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver!" hollered Peacock at the top of her lungs, which resulted in everyone shushing her. "What?" she said, though this time she was far quieter.

"Try to show a little tact, we have two people that need to sleep. Also, I'll admit that Painwheel might be a tad... eh volatile. Actually, I was hoping to find you anyway, Leduc, so that you can lend a hand in helping to keep her in check."

"Yeah, no problem. So how do you want me to help?"

"When she wakes up, she'll end up being restrained, but I think that will work as well as it did for me. Because of that, I want you to hang around in the med bay so that you can help in restraining her."

"OK. Sounds good."

"What about me?" asked Hive. "Is there any way I can help?" Ragnorok was about to say something, but then he thought about it, and changed his answer.

"Actually, that other girl is unconscious as well, and could probably use a bit warmer of an introduction. Think you could be there to lend a hand with?"

"Sure. I'll be sure to give her a proper Lab 8 Introduction."

"Thanks, both of you. I'm gonna head there too because A. It would give us some decent time to catch up...

"True enough, and we have a lot to catch up on." said Leduc.

"And B. I think I need to pass out for a little while. I've had two fights and gotten slapped today, so I'm going to be so tired when I put the last two seals in." Ragnorok said, while also pointing at the remaining nails in his hand.

"Sorry about slapping you, by the way."

"Its no trouble. I deserved it anyway, even if I meant well in my actions. Have to say, though, Ow! How is it that getting slapped hurt worse than fighting two people?" Leduc was cracking up at this, as he too had been the recipient of Hive's slaps before, and he had begged the same question himself.

"One of life's great mysteries, I guess." this set the group off again, who now got up, and were ready to move on to the med bay. Now that he was sure that everything had settled down, Samson had begun moving again, and after a few minutes, they had arrived at the med-bay. It was a decently sized area, and had about 60 beds in all, each one offering enough space for some room to work around. They did not, however, go into any of these beds, and instead went into a room that was connected to the med bay. This left Samson confused for a moment, but Ragnorok explained.

"This part here is the main area. We use it in the event a large number of us are sick or injured, but there are only three of us, including myself, so we should just be able to sleep in here instead." And with that, he opened the door, and they found a rather lovely room which had only three beds total. Along with this, there were seveal seats that could be used so that someone could come in and stay in the room. The most notable aspect, however, were that all three beds were surrounded by curtains, which meant it would be very easy for a person to have some privacy, even if the room was full of people.

"The middle bed should be good for you, Samson, and it would be best to just let Filia sleep for another couple hours." Samson nodded, and smoothly crawled himself and Filia into the bed. While Samson had healed since his fight, carrying Filia everywhere had rendered him rather exhausted, so he had no problems with just sleeping for a while.

"Before I lose consciousness, I have one quick question: why did that little girl call you Fen, and why did she call you her brother?"

"Because that girl was about six when I got here, and it would have been impossible for her to pronounce Ragnorok properly, so I just gave her my favorite nickname for my other half. As for the "Big Brother" part, that's because we here at Lab 8 consider each other to be family. Not a lot of us have anywhere else to go, or else were abandoned when we were little. Its far better for everyone to heal if they feel like they have some place to belong." While it did seem odd at first, the explanation did make everything make perfect sense to Samson. With that, he had nothing else to worry about, so he just passed out, but not before saying one last thing.

"When I wake up, make sure that there's some booze somewhere..."

And with that, Samson fell asleep completely, and was clearly going to be out for a while.

"Well, there's one. So up next, we should take care of Painwheel, so Ben, would you put her on the right one?"

"Sure thing." said Ben, and he set Painwheel down on her cot, and with a care that seemed unlikely considering his large proportions, covered her in blankets. After that, Ragnorok and Avian proceeded to restrain her in the leather bindings attached to the bed, which would give at least a little time after she wakes up to restrain her properly. With that, Ragnorok removed her mask, setting it in one of the nearby chairs. This allowed Leduc and Hive to see her face for the first time.

"Huh, she's actually kind of cute without that mask on. Once you look past the scars, at least." Said Leduc.

"Easy there Leduc." said Ragnorok. "You should give her a little time to let her heal mentally before you try anything with her. Don't even know why you would, anyway, considering the fact that you already have Hive." This comment proceeded to make both Hive and Leduc blush deep red, a trait very uncharacteristic of both of them. "Oh, have you guys not tried anything yet? I've been gone for four years now, so I would have thought you two would have had some relationship by now."

Yet again, Hive proceeded to slap Ragnorok, though this time he had deserved it far less, and as such, she did not put in the usual amount of force. Instead, he ended up just getting sent to the bed on the left, which he had conveniently left open when he had chosen to stand in front of it. Instead of standing up, he just opted to sit in his bed, as he was clearly tired.

"Judging by that slap, there is clearly some interest, so I'm just going to say this: Leduc, if, by the time I have disassembled Brain Drain, you have not at least tried to make a relationship with Hive, I am going to personally beat you upside the head." Leaving Leduc and Hive to both just be flabbergasted by his statement, he now turned towards Dr Avian. "Sorry there, Doc, but I need to sleep so that I'll be ready when Valentine comes, so in the meantime, you need to start making preparations for the attack."

"But when will it be? We may not have enough time to prepare." To this, Ragnorok looked at the clock, and saw that it was about 7:00 P.M.

"She'll get here around midnight, both for the ease of moving unnoticed and her general flair for the dramatic. Will five hours be enough time for everyone to get ready?"

"Yes, more than enough. We could probably be ready in three hours."

"Three hours, eh? Then I have a request. Once your ready, come back to this room and wake me up, along with the other two, if they aren't already awake. That would allow the time to explain everything before the fight goes down."

"Sounds good. But why do you need both up? I understand Painwheel, but why the young girl... er, what is her name?

"Filia, and as for why, call it a hunch, but I think everything here is interconnected, including her supposed amnesia." All Avian could do is stare, but he knew that by the look on his face, that he was certain, and was interested as to what could connect all these pieces together.

"All right. I'll be back as soon as possible. You too, Ben, We'll need you to hold down the front-lines," And with that, Avian and Ben headed out the door, already thinking about how to get the message across fast. Shortly there after, Peacock started moving out as well.

"If someone's coming here for a fight, then I'd best be sure to get out my biggest and best toys." Leaving them only to stare and wonder at that statement, she headed towards her own room, bearing a fairly smug smile.

Illuem gave the remaining group a qucik look around.

"I think I'll go too. The younger members will need to be kept safe, otherwise this could turn into a full out slaughter. Besides,"she said, her voice implying that she was grinning, "I need to tidy up your room a little Ragnorok. Besides general clean-up, you'll find it was as you left it."

"Excellent. And go, I have no problems, and I'll be out cold for another few hours anyway." Leaving the three to Hive and Leduc, Illuem headed out, hoping for the best that would come of tonight. Now that they were alone, Ragnorok took a look at both of his dear friends, and it was as if time had never passed between them. They all looked so much like they did when he had left.

"I owe you both a full explanation, and I swear I'll tell you everything. But first, I really do need to sleep for a couple hours. Think you could stand waiting so that I can just explain all this one time only?" He waited for a moment, and allowed them to think for a moment.

"Sure." said Leduc

"No problem" said Hive, "We've waited four years for an explanation. We're more than willing to wait just a few more hours."

"Excellent. Well, I'm just gonna pass out, then. Make sure that the other two are kept safe, and make sure that I'm woken up along with them." And with that, Ragnorok put the last two nails in his arm, and with his transformation back to his neutral state, it was clear that he was dead tired.

"One last thing." Said Leduc."Are you still in there, Fenrir?"

_Alive and ready to kick your ass again_ said Fenrir, speaking with his typical arrogance, in spite of the fact he was clearly tired too. To this reply, Leduc could only grin as electricity coursed down his arms for a moment.

"Excellent. It definitely looks like we have a ton of catching up to do." Ragnorok grinned at this, glad to have his friends back.

"Well, if that's all, I am going to fall asleep. Night, you two, and do try not to make too much noise together." This caused the pair to blush yet again, but before they could respond, Ragnorok put his head on a pillow, and was out in seconds, Leaving the conscious pair to only stare at each other. With nothing else to do, they proceeded to grab a pair of chairs and sat down in them in the middle of the room, so that they could be ready whoever woke up first. It was notable that they set the chairs right next to each other, and when they sat down, they subconsciously grabbed each other's hand. Realizing this, they both turned a little redder and let go, and all they could do was wait and think about what all Ragnorok had said, and their own opinions on the matter. As with everything else, only time will tell.

**Finally Done, and I would like to note and apologize to the fact that these stories keep getting longer. This is unintentional, but it also means that each chapter takes more time. My method is essentially type to what I feel is a satisfactory stopping point. Well, nothing else to say but read, review, and do be sure to vote on my poll. See you next time.**


	8. Chapter 8: The Truth: Part 1

**Newest chapter, and nice to see that a good number of people are viewing. I wish I had a few more reviews for constructive criticism, but that's just me being a neurotic perfectionist. And I have gotten rather shippy recently, as I initially did not intend to ship Hive and Leduc, but after mulling it over, I found it made to much sense. Nothing else to say here, so enjoy**

Chapter 8: The Truth: Part 1

_Images constantly flow around Filia, some she was aware of, some not. A friend, a version of herself with blond hair, a pool, an operating table, and so many visions of pain. They swirled round and round, and were threatening to suffocate her. All of a sudden, she saw a monstsrosity of a machine, with a Brain seen through a glass dome, and was reaching for her, threatening to kill her. His hands were around her neck, and he began to squeeze._

_She was suffocating, struggling to get any sort of breath. Any second now, she was going to die. She was fading..._

*Gasp*

Filia woke up with a start, struggling for air. After allowing her to breathe for a few moments, Hive got her attention:

"Its ok, Its ok, you're safe here." she said, while also putting her hand on Filia's shoulder in an attempt to calm her. After a few minutes, Filia got her bearings, and finally started looking around to find out where she was. She now noticed that she appeared to be in some sort of medical room, and that her vision was obscured by a set of curtains, so the only person who could see her was Hive.

"Where am I? The last thing I remember was fighting that one girl, and then that boy who called himself Aiden saved me."

"Aiden?" asked Hive, clearly not knowing Ragnorok by his other name.

"That kid with the black hair. Do you know him?" To this, Hive had an odd reaction.

"Do you mean him?" And with this, Hive parted the curtain on the left, revealing Ragnorok, who was still sleeping. While it did take a moment to recognize him in his neutral state, she could still know.

"Yes, that's him, though his hair is quite different. It was a lot longer before." Hive was not sure of how to react to this, as she herself was not too familiar with Ragnorok's distant past. As it was, she was still waiting for an explanation from him in that area.

"Forget it, where we are is the Eighth Anti-Skullgirl Lab. You were brought here unconscious by Aiden, or as I know him Ragnorok, and your parasite friend."

"Samson did?" at the sound of his name, Samson began stirring from his sleep, but promptly fell back, still exhausted from carrying her all the way there. "I guess that explains how I got here, but I still don't get why I'm here."

"For one, this was a good a place as any for you to recover, especially due to Ragnorok's better nature, and apparently he thinks your important for his explanation of what he was doing for four years, as well as his planned attack on Brain Drain. He said that you may have amnesia. Is that correct?"

"Yeah, I lost my memories about a year ago, and I've spent all my time searching since then. But what would that have to do with him?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, though since you are up, and its about 10, I should wake him up so you can ask for yourself." And with that, Hive walked over and began to shake Ragnorok awake. While she was doing this, Filia looked up, and saw that in fact is was just about 9:45, meaning she had been unconscious for over three hours. Before she could take this in, however, Ragnorok began stirring, and woke with a hearty yawn.

"Man, has it already been three hours since I fell asleep? Well, nothing I can do about it." And with that, he began looking around to see who all was awake. After seeing Filia was awake, Ragnorok grinned a little, but the grin came in full when he noticed that Leduc was still asleep. "Glad to see you are awake, Filia. We should all start getting up now, especially because its going to take a few minutes to hold down Painwheel after she inevitably flips out. Care to lend me a hand, Hive?"

"What are you planning?"

"Oh nothing too terrible," said Ragnorok, a smug grin still plastered on his face. "Just making up for lost time." And with that, Ragnorok moved over to where Leduc was still napping in his chair, and after a moment, motioned for Hive to come over there. Hesitating for a moment, she moves alongside him.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Just put your face in front of his, and I'll handle the rest." With that, Hive put her face in front of Leduc, momentarily noting that Leduc looked kind of cute when he was sleeping. She had very little time to think of this, however, as Ragnorok had already set his plans in motion, and Leduc started to murmur in his sleep, at first unintelligibly, but one word finally came out, and it was a certain person's name.

"...Hive..." And upon saying that, he leaned forward and kissed her right on the lips, the warmth of which proceeded to wake him up from his dreams, and to find he was doing the same action in reality was a shock, to say the least. After only a second or two, the pair parted lips, as well as moved a few inches away from each other, both blushing scarlet. While this was happening, Ragnorok externally and Fenrir internally were laughing at their reactions.

"Oh, I regret nothing, that reaction is just downright priceless. I wish I had a camera. Hahahaha." While Hive moved to hit him for the third time in as many hours, Leduc instead grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Allow me." he said, electricity starting to gather lightly in his arms, clearly displaying an ample amount of annoyance. Hive could only nod at this, knowing that there was no stopping Leduc when he got mad. So she instead just watched as he charged his right arm, preparing to throw a punch at Ragnorok.

"100,000 Volts!" And with that, Leduc threw a very powerful electric punch, but just before it connected, Ragnorok, who had switched over to let Fenrir do some work, had also removed two nails, and was therefore ready to counter Leduc's punch with one of his own, even if it would not be as powerful. This resulted in both being sent to the opposite walls, which made a decent ruckus, and causing Samson to wake up with a start, though Carol, who was rather used to loud noises at Lab Zero, did not seem to mind too terribly the impacts. From both walls a groan could be heard, followed by both Leduc and Fenrir falling to the ground, having taken at least a fair bit of damage from the impact. It was Leduc who recovered enough to talk first, and he asked the most obvious question.

"What the heck man? Why did you force me to kiss Hive." Unfortunately, Fenrir was still healing, so instead it was Ragnorok who spoke to them, with his voice being heard in the heads of everyone in the room.

_Ok, for starters, you cannot deny you enjoyed that kiss, Leduc. Secondly, my powers can't force people to do anything. I can only influence feelings that are already present. Also, I just made the dream you were already having a little more lucid._ To this, Leduc, who was shockingly quite used to discussions like this, could only gape at, knowing that his most recent dream was in fact an imaginary date with Hive.

"How did you...?"

"Because"said Ragnorok, who had switched back yet again, and how now found his bearings to talk normally "I've learned to use my psychic abilities more. Now, when I'm asleep near people who are asleep at the same time is me, I can see whatever they are dreaming about at the time. But don't worry, I'll be sure to keep the details a secret." He said, with a very smug grin. "Though because of that, I'm more certain now than ever that I did right in bringing Filia with me to the Lab." To this, Filia only gave a confused look, while Samson was still trying to wake up from only three hours of sleep.

"Why do you think I'm so important? I don't have any memories before a year ago? I doubt I have any information you wouldn't already have." Ragnorok was silent for a moment, trying to find the easiest way to explain why.

"Because what you saw in your dream is something that only a few people have ever seen. He's called Brain Drain, and he was the one..." However, Ragnorok stopped, as at the sound of the name of Lab Zero's director, Painwheel began to stir. "Shoot, she's starting to wake up. Leduc, I'm sorry that I made you do something that, let's face it. you would end up trying on your own anyway. But right now, I need you to help me hold her down, at least until I can use my powers to restrain her mentally. Think we could let bygones be bygones so that we avoid a repeat of when I first got here?" Remembering what had happened, Leduc begrudgingly nodded, and the pair headed over to her bed, and moved the curtain, where it was clear they only had a few moments before she woke up. Filia could only look at the scene in confusion. So she turned to Hive, who was still cooling off from the kiss.

"What happened when Aiden-I mean Ragnorok-first got here?" Hive frowned at this, having clear memories of what had happened the day Ragnorok had arrived.

"He ended up going berserk, and he destroyed several of the rooms down here. He also attacked several people, though the worst was just a broken bone or two." This gave Filia a look of concern, for obvious reasons.

"Are you sure that Leduc and Ragnorok can handle it on their own, especially with how mad they are at each other right now?" Hive smiled at this.

"Oh don't worry, those two could fight for hours on end, but at the end of the day, they'll always have each other's backs. Their like brothers, in a way." Filia was still not sure about that, but she decided to hope that they would be able handle this on their own, as she was still not fully recovered from her fight with Painwheel earlier.

While the two ladies were talking together, Ragnorok and Leduc were having their own conversation.

"Look, I really am sorry for what happened, but I want to be sure you two get together. I mean, you two are practically made for each other." This caused Leduc to blush, as he did in fact have a crush on Hive for the past five years.

"You still could let me take this at my pace."

"If I let you take it at your pace, then we'd have to wait until the pair of you are thirty, and it could be too late by that point. Besides..." Ragnorok paused for a moment, unsure if he should tell Leduc the truth, "...For all the bravado I had about it before, I'm not sure I can actually beat Brain Drain, or at least survive too." This shocked Leduc, as Ragnorok was not the type to be uncertain, so for him to express his fears of losing hit home. It was with a moment of clarity that he realised what was going through his friend's mind.

"Because if we got together afterward, it'd be like we were just being sad with each other, and not an actual relationship. Are you that unsure of yourself? You have to have had some training while you were gone, considering that punch. Nice hit, by the way."

"Thanks, and you've improved too, that hit almost hurt. And yeah, while I'm a ton stronger from when I've left, Brain Drain is on a whole other level from anything else. He's almost strong enough to rival the Skullgirl herself. What's worse, though, is that he's as smart as he is strong, so outsmarting him is almost impossible." Leduc grabbed Ragnorok at this statement, knowing that he would need consoling.

"Well then, don't worry about that for now, and instead focus on the task at hand. In this case, let's figure out how to best restrain Painwheel to avoid repeating your arrival." Ragnorok could only grin at this, remembering that day well.

"OK, so here's what we need to do: I'm going to try to talk to and restrain her mentally, but we both know she's going to inevitably break the bonds on her bed, so I need you to use your strength and electricity to hold her in place. If we work together, we may just be able to avoid too much damage."

"Sounds good, though why am I the only one holding her down?"

"Because the only way for me to use enough psychic power to hold her back and talk to her will limit my body's movement as a side effect. Put simply, I can't move on my own when using that much power, and switching over to Fenrir restricts my powers too much to do it either. There is a third option, but I need to hold off on using it when Valentine gets here."

"What is it?" Leduc was curious, as he thought he had seen both Ragnorok's and Fenrir's abilities to their fullest, so the idea of a third option confused him. Ragnorok smiled for a moment, then gave his reply:

"Lets just say that in those years, I found who I really am. But more on that later. Look!" he said, pointing, as it was now clear that Painwheel was fully awake, and was now proceeding to look around, unfamiliar with her surroundings. After a moment, she realized she was being restrained, and she reacted as most people would in that situation.

"OK, we have at most two minutes before those restraints break, so let's get started." Said Ragnorok, pulling out six nails, shifting back into his fighting form.

"Woah! Sixty from the get go? Isn't that a little high?"

"Its fine, Leduc. I can maintain full control as long as I keep under Eighty percent, but sixty should be more than enough to just communicate and/or stall her long enough to hold her down are restrain her. Speaking of..." Ragnorok said, noting that Painwhell had about escaped her bonds in only thirty seconds. "Huh... looks like you guys actually did improve the bonds. Maybe next time we'll hit a full minute. But enough of that, you ready?" Looking over at Leduc, he saw his answer, as all along his arms and legs were streaming electricity.

"Ready. we start the second she moves." Right on cue, Painwheel jumped right out of her bed, only to quickly be grabbed in a bear hug by Leduc, while using his foot to hold down the Buer Drive. While this was going on, Ragnorok had entered the mind of Carol, finding the person deep within her damaged subconscious.

_Carol, are you awake in here?_

_What, who's that? _Carol was confused, as this person sounded far too different from Aiden to be recognizable.

_Shoot, forgot that I sound different when I'm like this. I'm the person who helped you before, remember? _It took a moment for her to remember, and while this was going on, Painwheel had used a Gae Bolg from her hand to whack Leduc hard on his legs, which would normally have sliced clean through the leg. Instead, it banged hard on the metal, and knocked the two away from each other.

"That was close. That'd have destroyed a normal person's leg. Good thing the Taranis is harder than steel." And with that, Leduc leapt at Painwheel while she was still on the ground, and used their combined body weight to hold her down. Unfortunately, he was unable to grab the Buer Drive, and it was about to take a slice at him until Hive noticed, and turned one of her arms into the Bezzle Bomb, and sent several mechanical bees out to catch and lodged the Buer Drive into the floor.

"Claws off, Painwheel. You okay, Leduc."

"Oh fine, besides the fact this girl is shockingly strong for someone so lean." He said, clearly having trouble, as Painwheel was writhing underneath him, struggling to get Leduc off in spite of the fact his position and Hive's bees prevented her from using either of her parasites.

**Meanwhile, in Carol's Subconscious...**

_What's going on?_

_Unfortunately, your body is quite good at relying on instincts alone. Some friends and I are trying to stop you from destroying anything, though that's a little easier said than done. If your willing to trust me, I may be able to help you. _This confused Carol, who was still getting used to all the oddity that comes with mental powers.

_How am I supposed to do that? _

_You know how you were able to talk to Filia before in town? We should be able to repeat that, only this time you'll take full control of your body._

_But how? I had no idea what I was doing then. _Ragnorok waited a moment, trying to figure out how to most easily explain what took him almost a year to figure out on his own.

_Can you remember what you were feeling at the time?_ Carol thought for a moment, trying to remember what specifically she was feeling then.

_I wanted to protect and warn Filia, no matter what. She's my best friend, and I could never bring myself to hurt her._

_That's perfect. It was a strong feeling you wanted more than anything else. Now, what I want you to do is think with all your heart "I want my body back."_

_Will that really work? It was all I could do just to get a few sentences out, and I lost control right after that._ She swore she could hear a laugh, and then had the oddest warmth surround her, with a feeling reminiscent of a gentle flame, warm and all-encompassing.

_I'll support you with my own mental power. All you need to do is focus your thoughts, and it should work._

_What does "should work" mean?_

_It means that, under the worst case scenario, this is going to end up damaging our minds. Normally a big deal, but our minds are both fairly damaged in the first place, so I doubt it'd make that much of a difference. Besides, I have total faith in your abilities_

_Oh, is that all to worry about? I'm so relieved that the worst that will happen is becoming even more insane. _Anyone could have noticed how layered with sarcasm the last words were.

_Look, I'm sorry, and I wish I could explain everything to you in full detail now, but once your body is under control, we can talk this out, and I promise I will tell you everything you want to know. _

_Okay, I'll try._ And with that, Carol focused entirely on the desire to take full control of her body back. As this happened, the energy that surrounded her went inside her now, filling her with that gentle warmth, making her feeling more focused than normal. After a moment, she felt as if she were sinking into the ground beneath her, but she did not panic, as it felt more like diving in a pool, and was fully her own choice. As time went on, she began to feel things physically, something she hadn't felt in years. Eventually, all she could she was darkness, but the physical feelings were full now...

**Back in the physical world...**

"What the heck?" Leduc was confused. Painwheel, who until recently had done nothing but writhe underneath him, had now gone completely still.

You can get off her now, Leduc. She should be fine now." said Ragnorok, who was starting to move for the first time since he first entered her mind. He was actually sweating a fair bit, and proceeded to look around the room, which had copious amount of damaged, including now 4 indentations in the walls, one on each side; dozens of slashes from the Buer Drive and Gae Bolga in both the ceiling and floor, and an actual hole in one wall caused by Hive's bees restraining the Beur Drive. The only part of the room that was still mostly clean was the bed area, where it was clear that Leduc and Hive were acting as bodyguards for Filia, who was still healing from her previous encounter with Painwheel, and she and a now fully conscious Samson had only watched in awe.

"Huh, not bad. We actually kept the majority of the damage contained into just this one room. Nice job Leduc, and you too Hive. This would have been impossible without help." Ragnorok said all this while holding a hand out for Leduc to get up, which he gladly took. It was right at this moment that came in the door. He took a quick look around and, rather than freak out, he just sighed.

"And I was so hopeful that the new restraints would actually keep someone down this time around. How long did they hold?"

"About 30 seconds, Dr. Avian," Said Ragnorok, grinning, "so at the very least, things are improving." Again, Avian merely sighed.

"And what of the girl now? How is she?" Hive and Leduc bothed shared a blank expression, unsure of how to answer. Ragnorok, however, kept his grin, as he responded

"Ask her yourself." While saying this, he held his and out towards Painwheel, who after a moment of stillness, suddenly grasped his hand. "How are you doing, Carol?" Again, there was a moment of stillness, mixed in with heavy breathing from Carol, but she spoke, using Painwheel's throaty voice.

"My body... I'm moving it." This confused most of the people in the room, but Avian and Ragnorok both understood the meaning of her words. "Its like moving through water... but for the first time in a long time, I'm controlling my body. Yeah!" Carol said, extending her arms wide, and on accident ended up shooting a Gae Bolga Stinger from her right hand, though Ragnorok switched over to Fenrir, who caught the stinger mid-air with no apparent effort, and what little damage it dealt healed quickly. Just as quickly, Ragnorok took control back.

"A little rough around the edges, but now your on the way to taking full control of your body back. Excellent, especially this quickly." Now that there was nothing more to worry about as far as Painwheel/Carol was concerned, Ragnorok looked around the room, now addressing the group. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, now that Dr. Avian is back, I suppose that means all the defenses are up, so without further ado, we can unmask some of the mysteries in this room, including my past, Filia's amnesia, and what all this has to do with Brain Drain and the Skull Heart." This got a mixed reaction from the crowd, with Leduc and Hive's excitement, Avian and Filia's curiosity, Carol's hopefulness, but oddest of all, concern from Samson. "And if we all sit in a circle, I know the best and fastest way to get all this information out."

So, without being sure what he was thinking, the group got in a circle, Hive and Leduc at either of Filia's sides, Leduc and Ragnorok between Avian, and Hive and Ragnorok positioning themselves between Painwheel.

"Ok, now everyone hold hands." Leduc and Hive gave a silent thanks that they were not right next to each other, and everyone grabbed each other's hands, with Leduc and Ragnorok taking care to avoid hurting the old doctor's hands.

"So how is this going to work?" asked Samson, "Are we going to play Truth or Dare?" this left an awkward moment of silence, as no one could find a reasonable response. After that, Ragnorok just took a deep breath before responding.

"Just relax and let my powers handle the rest." And without another word, Ragnorok released his mental energy to the others, giving that warm feeling back to Carol, but for the others it was a new feeling. They had little time to dwell on that, However, as without warning, all of them lost consciousness, still holding hands. Ragnorok alone was still upright, but he was still out like the rest of them.

_Now its time to find answers in the place where no one can truly lie: The Mind._

**And ending this chapter here. Sorry, but if I let this play out all at once, this chapter would be over 8000 words, so instead I'm splitting this into 2 chapters. Plus side, this means that Chapter 9 will be out sooner rather than later. Also, heading to college soon, but I will let you know how, if at all, that will affect future chapters. I will still write, but long times between updates may occur more often. As always, read and review, and have a nice day.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Truth: Part 2

**And now for part 2 of the exposition dump. Also, a quick shout out to LockjawsSaga, who recently finished his excellent story "The Ballad of Squigly", and also gave a shout-out to the other writers for this fandom. Good luck on your sequel, and hope it ends up being even better than your first.**

Chapter 9: The Truth: Part 2

Filia was the first to awaken, and noticed several things. First, and most obviously, was that the oddity of the location. It was a blank room that seemed to go on forever, with the only objects in the room being a series of trees, almost like a small forest. Secondly, while all of the Lab 8 members were present, both Carol and Aiden/Ragnorok were gone, which mildly concerned her. What was most noticeable to her, however, was the fact that there was someone entirely new. He was a tall, gruff looking man, wearing a suit as black as his hair, though it and he had a somewhat worn look to it. Despite this appearance, Filia had this odd suspicion that she knew this person.

"Who...Who are you?" This startled the man, who opened his eyes, which were yellow with red irises. When he spoke, however, she was sure of who she was.

"Huh... Kid? What the heck are you doing over there? On top of that, how am I over here?" This confirmed things for Filia, but she still had to ask the question that was on the forefront of her mind.

"Samson, is that you?"

"What do you mean, Kid? Of course it's-" but it was then that Samson realized what his body was like, and he also noticed that while it was still black, Filia's hair lacked the parasite's face, instead just falling down like hair normally would. He then noticed that he had hands, as well as an entire body, which confused him. "The hell? What's going on?"

"Perhaps we should explain." said another familiar voice, which originated from the trees, and out from it came two more figures. The first had the appearance of a little child with hair as white as the walls around them, wearing a robe that seemed to have been made from the leaves of the trees, as well as eyes as blue as the sea. Alongside him was a being that appeared to be equal parts man and wolf, and was as tall as Big Band, with the red and black eyes that mark those that bear the Skullgirl's blood within them. After looking around, Filia was able to locate Carol, who had hidden herself behind a tree, clearly nervous about something. For a moment or two, no one talked, and just looked at each other. It was Hive that broke the silence:

"Ragnorok, Fenrir, is that you? Why do you two look like that?" To this, both laughed, and in the end it was the young boy that spoke, and it is clear that he was the one speaking before.

"Yes, I'm Ragnorok, and the big beast beside me is Fenrir. As for location, that's a little trickier to explain. See, this place is called the White Room, and it's basically our collective subconscious given form. As for why some people look different, that's because of the way you perceive yourself on a subconscious level." This confused the whole of the group, so Fenrir stepped in, with his voice seeming quite fitting coming from his current form.

"Basically, we're all having the exact same dream, and because this is not the real world, reality works differently." This was easier to grasp, but this time it was Leduc who asked a question.

"Wait, why is it that Hive, Doctor Avian, and I all are the same?" Ragnorok grinned at this, and spoke:

"Because you three see yourselves as exactly who you are. Samson is divided from Filia because he's a parasite, and as such has his own form, though why his body looks like that specifically is trickier. Perhaps he views himself as a bodyguard to Filia, and as such dresses like that?" Samson was shocked at this, and was about to retort, but was motioned by Hive, as she had something to ask them.

"What about you two? I thought the Fenrir Drive was a synthetic parasite. So why are you two separate?"

"We are an exception in that case. It's far easier to show, rather than explain it. But before that, let's take care of Filia's amnesia first." This shocked everyone, and of course there were doubts about it. The person to respond, however, was not Filia, but Samson.

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"It's simple." Said Ragnorok, who had begun moving, and was now alongside Filia. "Filia, would you do me a favor and visualize a door?" Filia raised her eyebrow sarcastically, and Ragnorok only sighed at what he considered to be the normal reaction. "I know, its sounds weird, but please just trust me on this." More so to humor him, Filia did as he asked, and visualized a door in her mind. "Now, I want you to imagine that behind that door lay your memories. Can you see it?" Strangely, Filia could see the door, a large oak object, and behind it, she could hear whispers of old memories, and they gave off an almost nostalgic feeling. Despite the oddity of the situation, Filia felt herself smile a little. "Good, now open your eyes." And so she did, and Filia was shocked to see that the door was physically there, right in front of her. There were two details she had not envisioned, though. The first was that there was a plaque on top of the door with a picture of her on it. The second was the being standing in front of it, though she remembered it from her dreams. Strangely, all the ASG members, Carol, and Ragnorok and Fenrir also knew who it was.

"What?"

"Impossible?"

"How is he here?" While the others contemplated, Ragnorok could only grin at the person in front of him. Even seven years after seeing him, everything about the monster in front of him felt familiar, and even now it sent chills down his spine to see him.

"I believe most of you know him, but to the few that don't, I introduce to you Brain Drain, Lab Zero's psychotic psyonic director." Despite everyone's reactions, the entity in front of them hadn't done a single thing, instead just leaning on the door in front of them. "Well, I suppose that's only partially true. This isn't him; it's just a projection of his powers. Think of it like a computer program, though perhaps a virus would be a more apt description." While the explanation made sense, the group was still fairly confused. Being the only one of the group to still be fully following his explanation, it was now that Dr. Avian that spoke up.

"But how do we get past him? Considering Brain Drain's personality, I highly doubt he would allow even a fraction of himself to be defeated easily."

"That's why I'm going to have to fight him at full force from the start. Ready, Fen?" Ragnorok said, holding his hand out towards his other half.

"Ready, but I told you to stop calling me that." Said Fenrir, taking his hand, and as he did so, the a large circle of light surrounded the two

"Oh, I forgot. Sorry old friend. And as for the rest of you," Ragnorok said, talking to the rest of the group, "I believe we have another introduction in order. As I said, I'm Ragnorok."

"And I'm Fenrir."

"And when the two of us join together, we become…" The pair said, the light now enveloping them, as well as blinding Filia and the others. When the light cleared, a figure that very much resembled the person they all knew as either Ragnorok or Aiden, with the differing eyes. There were, however, three clear differences. The first was that he was wearing relatively normal clothes, with a t shirt, jeans, and black shoes giving him the look of an average teenager, a far more subdued look over the boxer getup he normally wore. The short sleeves of the short accentuated the second detail, his body was cleaner, lacking any of the scars the real version had from his time spent in Lab Zero. Finally, while Ragnorok and Fenrir were able to act normally, they always seemed tense and on edge. The person in front of them, however, was the epitome of calm, standing up straight with a light smile on his face. It was then that he spoke, using a voice only unfamiliar to the members of Lab 8, but both Filia and Carol recognized it.

"Aiden, the original personality. It's a pleasure to finally be able to talk all in person. Well, metaphorically speaking of course." He chuckled a little, and the rest of the group could still only stare in stunned silence at the person before them. Hive was the first to get her bearings, so she asked something to the young man.

"So who are you?" The young man kept his smile, as if finding her question somewhat comical.

"Like I said Hive, I'm Aiden, the original personality. But don't worry; you and Leduc are still the best friends a guy could ask for." The way Aiden said this, both she and Leduc and were sure that he was telling the truth, in spite of the oddity of the situation."Also, I know that this clearly is going to require a detailed explanation, but that Brain Drain projection over there is seriously creeping me out, so I'm gonna go ahead and destroy it." And with that, he walked towards the door, leaving the group to digest all the information they had received over the past several minutes. This left Aiden enough time to take a few breaths, crack his neck and fingers, and then proceed to leap straight at Brain Drain, opting to avoid the more tedious nature of subtlety.

It was this action that caused Brain Drain to finally begin acting, erecting a wall using the very ground beneath them. Before Aiden collided with the wall, however, he instead leapt straight upwards, and to the amazement of the bystanders, one of the trees suddenly uprooted itself from the ground, and was held in the air in such a place that Aiden, who had suddenly changed his arms and legs to those of Fenrir, could use as a spring to launch himself straight at Brain Drain from above, claws out to slash him. Without missing a step, the wall now became a series of boulders, which flew up to squash Aiden into so much mush. Just as quickly however, the boulders became so many petals of flowers, which Aiden just fell through, landing effortlessly on the ground. Needless to say, this confused Aiden's audience.

"What?"

"How did that happen?"

"As I said before, this is a world built on thought, and as such, fights here tend to rely so little on reality. Here, illusions are just as effective a weapon as a gun or Parasite. Especially when my opponent isn't even real himself." Aiden said, and snapped his fingers. This resulted in the flower petals turning into a series of daggers, which surrounded themselves around Brain Drain, and then flew straight at him.

*Clink**Clank*Clang!

Each of the blades had been stopped, as Brain Drain had surrounded himself in a large cocoon of chains. Once it had surrounded him, the chains went taut, then sending the knives flying straight back at Aiden. Then *Thump!**Thump!**Thump! The tree that was in the air fell in front of Aiden and the group, blocking all the knives. All this noticeably took a bit of a toll on Aiden, who was breathing a little heavily. In spite of this, he was still grinning, clearly enjoying himself.

"I figured that would have been too easy to have worked. Ah well, that just means I have to be a little more creative. Perhaps something like this!" And with a shove, the tree and knives turned into a series of large spears. Without missing a beat, Brain Drain pulled the chains to form a fence, which then turned into a wall of steel, deflecting the spears. What he did not see coming was Aiden suddenly appearing behind him, and grabbing the side of his head with both hands, which were now back to normal.

"It's time to end this nightmare, once and for all." And putting all of his mental power into it, Aiden blasted Brain Drain with a large beam of pure light. This rendered the entity to be nothing more than ash, which quickly dissipated, along with all the other illusionary objects the two had used during the fight. The threat gone, Aiden fell to his knees, now clearly exhausted from the fight in spite of lacking any injuries on his body. Filia, Hive, and Leduc all rushed towards Aiden to see if they could help him. Before they could reach him, however, he merely held out his hand, and they stopped. After a moment, he spoke.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just that fights here have a habit of taking a lot out of a person. But I'll be fine after a few minutes rest. More to the point, however," He said, now pointing his finger at Filia, and then to the door, "He's gone now, so that means the door can be opened." Filia looked and saw that somehow, the door was still there, and was lacking even a scratch in spite of all the carnage just a few moments ago. Also, Filia just noticed that her head felt a lot clearer than before. Almost being drawn like a puppet on a string, Filia felt herself moving towards the door. In a moment, she found herself standing right in front of the door, and was able to notice that the door was in fact covered with the same images she had seen in her dream before, right down to the smallest details. She also noticed the knob, which was made of silver. She reached for the knob, but hesitated for moment. She looked towards Aiden.

"What's going to happen after I open the door?" Surprisingly enough, Aiden could only shrug at this

"You'll get your memories back, but what that'll do to you is beyond me. You might be mostly the same, or you could be an entirely different person, but even I can't say what exactly will happen. In the end, as they say, the choice is yours." Filia then turned towards Samson, who was standing next to Dr. Avian a bit away.

"Samson, what do you think I should do?"

"Like he said, Kid, whatever happens is up to you. Just remember, we're bonded together, so whatever happens, I've always got your back." Filia smiled and reached for the door yet again, but this time was stopped by Aiden.

"Actually, really quick, I think everyone but Filia should head to the woods for a second. Since we don't know for sure what's going to happen, giving her some space might be a wise idea. Oh, and Carol," He said, raising his voice so he could be heard from a fair distance, making the still hidden girl take note, "You should be able to come out once this is finished. Sorry you had to hide for so long." There was only silence to this, but Aiden knew she had heard. This actually raised a question for Filia, as she was the first to notice how much distance Carol was keeping from the rest of the group.

"That reminds me, why is she so far away from the group? I get that I knew her, but wouldn't that have helped me get my memories." Aiden was now moving with Hive and the others towards the woods, still exhausted. Even so, he turned around to answer her inquiry.

"For two reasons. First, we could have had a repeat of the incident in town if I hadn't destroyed the block Brain Drain put on your mind." Filia briefly remembered the pain of having her thoughts repressed, followed by losing consciousness. Shuddering, she remembered that the cause was seeing Painwheel unmasked, but she could not recall what was there.

"Fair enough, but what's the second reason?"

"Carol, for one reason or another, ended up appearing near where my halves were, so I saw for a fact what she looked like. Like me, her body's altered. I think its important that you have your memories before you see her. Both for her sake and for yours." And with that he headed for the woods, with the others in tow. Taking a breath, Filia once again grabbed the knob. She hesitated for a few seconds, and with each second she could hear the thumping sound of her own heart as plain as day. Finally, when she couldn't bear it anymore, she twisted the knob and opened the door all the way.

What lied behind the door was just like from her dreams, a series of images that flowed all around her. Unlike before, though, there was nothing to stop or control the flow, so instead they flew freely, completely surrounding her. Eventually, all she could see were images of her past, both old and new, and as the number of memories grew, the more her head felt like it was about to burst. At one point, it grew so bad that she fell onto her knees, her face contorted into a silent scream. Then, when it felt like she couldn't take it a moment longer, a feeling of clarity passed over her, and all of the images around her faded. After letting her recuperating a moment, Aiden walked towards her and held out his hand.

"Are you okay, Filia?" Filia hesitated, still trying to get a grasp of all the new thoughts and feelings inside her head. Once all the thoughts in her head organized themselves, one thing came to mind. Filia took Aiden's hand, and looking right at his eyes, she asked the first thing that came to mind.

"You said that Carol is here, right? Can I see her? There's something I need to tell her." Aiden hesitated a moment, unsure of how to answer her.

"Yes, but if you remember from before you opened the door, I said that her appearance had altered. It's… not something she's comfortable with yet. Right now, she needs all the support she can get about her situation."

"OK. I'll be ready for anything."

"As long as you're sure." And with that, Aiden leapt into the woods, disappearing from the sight of the whole group. After a few minutes, Aiden appeared behind the others, with Carol in tow, though she was still hiding behind him, preventing anyone from getting a clear look at her face, though her body was still evident, and it left many in the group with shocked expressions. Finally, the pair made it so that they were now standing by Filia. Aiden motioned his hand towards the girl behind her. "Don't worry, she said herself that she's your friend." And moving aside, Filia finally saw what her friend looked like.

"Carol?" Before Filia stood her friend, and the suffering that had occurred was evident. The left side of her body was exactly as the girl she remembered was, with soft, clean skin, long brown hair, dark-brown eyes, and overall looked healthy, if only a little fragile. The right side, on the other hand, was mangled and covered in scars, with the veins being way too dark on such lightly colored skin. In her shoulder and upper thighs, there were three nails protruding from her skin, and the pain they were causing was evident, as Carol was bent over slightly in pain. The thinness of her body was more self evident, with her arm and leg being mere sticks, making her kneecap and elbow stick out. She was also wearing a white dress that covered the majority of her body, but much like the rest of her, one half was clean, while one half was filthy. Somehow, Filia felt like both sides marked Carol's past, as she had regularly been bullied for her more petite figure. In a way, her right side reflected both her current situation and the way others thought about her.

The face was where the real damage was, though, as all along the right side, her face had scars where the mask went, with a whole scar running along the edges of her face, and half of the X-shaped scar on the front of her face. Her eye also had the characteristically red and black coloration that Fenrir had, a mark of yet another polluted by the Skullgirl's blood.

"Filia?" Even her voice was in two halves, with one being the gravelly voice of Painwheel, and the other being the voice Filia remembered, a voice so soft and gentle that everyone that could hear it felt their heart melt a little on the inside. The two stared at each other, not sure how to react after not seeing each other for a year. So, Filia did the only thing that felt right in their situation. She wrapped Carol in her arms, and held her tightly in a hug.

"I'm sorry. You've suffered so much, and I've never been able to be there for you. Even when I knew what was happening, I couldn't stop you from getting hurt, I don't deserve to be called your friend."

Carol was confused at first, a swirl of emotions vying for control. Eventually, the strongest won out, and she returned the hug."That's not true. You've never once bullied me, and even after all this time, your still the nicest person I've met. You aren't just a friend, you're my best friend." And the two embraced, now both sobbing, while everyone else, feeling awkward, let them cry together for a few minutes. Eventually, the sobs turned into sniffles, and then finally stopped. They then just took a moment to take in the fact that they were finally reunited. It was Filia who spoke first.

"This time will be different. No matter what, I'll always have your back." Carol smiled at this, knowing that Filia meant every word.

"Thank you. And know that I plan on improving too. I can't just keep letting people walk over me. So, how about we help each other improve?"

"Sure. That's what friends are for." And with that, the two girls released each other after one last hug, and turned to face the group, who were now moving back towards the center of the area, and Aiden, who had been sitting there to let the pair reconcile with each other, now rose.

"Well, that's one problem sorted out, and it's always good to see friends reconnect. Speaking of, I believe some introductions are in order. Carol, Filia, as I said before, my name is Aiden Donovan, and behind me are my friends Beatrix Erella and Leon Donar, or as you know them Hive and Leduc…

"Hey."

"Hello."

"…And Dr. Avian, the head of Lab 8."

"It's a pleasure to meet both of you, and I hope that you will find that we at the ASG are here for you, especially if you need a place to call home." The two girls smiled at this, glad to feel that they could let their guards down around these people. Carol was the first to speak.

"Thank you. My name is Carol Delphina, and I'd be glad to take up that offer."

"I'd also like to take that offer, if I'm not a bother. My name is Filia…" Filia hesitated, knowing the renown of her last name. "… Filia Medici." Normally, mentioning this surname caused people to either freak out or act far nicer to her, with Carol being the only exception to this. While Hive, Leduc, and Dr. Avian tensed slightly, Aiden could only star blank faced.

"Should I know that name?" Aiden asked. "Hive, Leduc, either of you know?"

"Yeah, we know about them." Hive said, clearly agitated. "They are a mafia group that does a lot of shady business, including theft and murder. They nearly killed Ben. Isn't that right, Dr. Avian?" With a troubled look, he nodded.

"Yes, though not directly. Twenty years ago, Ben used to be a police officer, and he ended up putting a lot of their men in prison. Because of this, they ended up paying some more… easily influenced officers to beat him within an inch of his life. He probably would have died, but Stanley and I found him, and we brought him back to Lab 8, and we were able to save him by making him into what he is today."

"I never knew. In the two years I was here, Ben was never a fan of talking about his past, unless he was teaching a lesson, of course." He then turned to Filia. "Do you consider yourself a part of that group?" Filia was rather confused.

"What?"

"Do you, Filia, consider yourself a part of the Medici Mafia? And do you support their actions."

"No! How can you even say that? I've hated my last name ever since I was little. My own father tried everything to keep my mother and I away from them."

"Well then, I see no reason to hold it against you, as I have no doubt from their reactions that Hive and Leduc would be tempted to." While initially shocked at this statement, the two could now only stare at the ground. "The reaction that confuses me more, though, is yours, Dr. Avian."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You tensed up like the others, but yours was more that of a realization."

"It… It's a long story." Aiden grinned, and proceeded to once again address the group.

"Well, now that all the introductions are in order-"

"Hey, you forgot about me, dumbass." Samson hollered, as he had been keeping back with Dr. Avian, and never really had an opportunity to talk.

"Oh, I'm sorry, would you care to introduce yourself."

"Hell yes! I'm Samson, a parasite whose loves are kicking ass and drinking, especially if I can do both at the same time."

"And you felt it was totally necessary to interrupt me to say just that."

"Yes. Yes I did."

"I hate you, I truly do. More to the point, however, I think we have some history to look into. So," Aiden said, "I think we need a change of scenery." And Aiden clapped his hands, which caused a set of double doors to appear in a little in front of him and the group. The design was rather odd, being more reminiscent of movie theater doors.

"Sorry about the design, but where we're heading, it makes sen-" All of a sudden, Aiden stopped moving, and he started holding his head, clearly in a large amount of pain. "Darn it, my time's up already." Hive and Leduc moved toward Aiden, but he stopped them with a raised hand.

"What's going on?" Hive asked, with her and Leduc sharing a mutual concern for their friend.

"My mind. It's splitting again. Aaah!" And once again, Aiden was surrounded in a brilliant flash of light, but this time, when it cleared, before them were Ragnorok and Fenrir lying on the ground, back in their original forms. With a groan, the two rose, clearly drained. It was Ragnorok who spoke first.

"Ah, I hate when that happens."

"Same." Fenrir agreed with a groan. "Has it already been thirty minutes?"

"Apparently so. And I was so hoping to have him to explain things easier." It was then that Ragnorok noticed the rest of the group, and their clearly shocked expressions. "Sorry, but looks like the explanation of my past is going to get a little complicated. Ah well, we still need to head through the doors." And the pair proceeded to each open one of the doors, revealing nothing but white beyond the door, so that if it wasn't behind the trees, the group would have sworn that the doors led to nothing at all.

"There's no need to be scared. We're just going to a place where explaining things is a lot simpler, with visuals and everything." With a moment of hesitation, Dr. Avian moved towards the door, with Hive and Leduc falling in behind him. After that, Filia stepped forward, with Carol on her left and Samson on her right. Once the rest of the group was inside, Fenrir and Ragnorok followed in behind them, closing the doors as they went, closing with a resounding thud.

**And this is where I'm stopping. ** **But I promise, the next chapter will be the last of these "Truth" chapters for a decent while, and the plot will pick up after that. Also, announcement, I now have a Beta Reader, KingChaotixX7, so expect a bit of an improvement in quality. Finally, I'm in college now, but my classes are spaced well enough so that I still will have time to write, but the scheduling will get wonky at times. Nothing else to be said, so please read, review, and as ever, stay classy.**


	10. Chapter 10: The Truth: Part 3

**This is the final chapter to mostly be exposition, I swear. On a side note, something I never thought possible happened: this story has received over 3000 views, which is especially good because this is my first story. Thank you, everyone, for your viewership, as well as your reviews. Hopefully, I'll be able to deliver my absolute best on this. Also, I have rewritten this chapter 3 times, which alongside reasons I'll get to later, caused this behemoth of a delay.**

Chapter 10: The Truth: Part 3

The place the group found themselves in yet another large room, almost as large as the White Room they were just in. In lieu of the white colors and trees of the previous room, instead the whole of the room appeared to be made completely out of mirrors; even the ground beneath them cast a reflection. Along with that, there were several actual mirrors all over the place, each one with its own little plaque on top of it.

"Welcome," Ragnorok declared with a wave, "to the Reflecting Room, though if we're talking location in the mind, this is somewhere in the middle of the hippocampus." After a series of confused looks from most of the group, the obvious exception being Dr. Avian, he continued, "It's the part of the brain that deals with memory. As for this location in particular, this is a place that allows a unique ability, but showing has always been better than telling in my opinion, so please, look around, and when you're ready, head over to that arch over there" he instructed, and they saw at the other end of the room that there was in fact, an arch made of the same material as the mirrors, but in spite of that was perfectly curved. Along with that, they saw that the mirrors had formed three paths for them to walk along. Too used to the insanity of their situation, everyone went their separate ways, with the groups being Filia and Carol along with Fenrir and Samson, Dr. Avian with Ragnorok, and Hive with Leduc.

"It's almost like one of those funhouses they have at carnivals" Carol observed, her voice still that odd blend of her past and present selves. It was then that she noticed what the mirror closest to her said: _Desire._ Out of curiosity, she looked into the mirror, and she shrieked at her reflection.

"Carol?" Filia quickly moved towards her friend. "What's wrong? Did you see something?"

"My reflection: l-look at it." Filia did so, and she was also shocked at what she saw, because looking back at her were not the two damaged girls looking into it. Instead, Filia was a touch thinner and taller, allowing her body to have a more natural figure. Carol, on the other hand, had quite the drastic change, being almost as tall as Filia, with a far fuller body, and her hair now going down to its waist. What's more, this version had no scars, and in fact had rather radiant skin.

"What? How is this-" Filia pondered

"Mirrors reflect things." Fenrir explained. "Each of these mirrors reflects a piece of the viewer's heart, and in this particular mirror's case, it is what you most desire to appear as." Fila and Carol still stared at their reflections, fascinated by them.

"So, is it impossible for me to ever look like this?" Carol inquired, and Filia could only look at her friend, knowing that she had always been the target of bullying, so her reflection would be something so gorgeous that no one would mock her for it.

Afraid so, Carol. What we desire most is perfection, and that is unattainable. If you ask me, "Fenrir growled, "I would look at another mirror. You could drive yourself mad looking at that one."

"Oh." With a frown, Carol moved away from the mirror. Knowing that he had hurt her feelings somewhat, Fenrir opted to say something else.

"It's worth noting that the only thing that reflection showed was a version of you that was prettier. This may not mean much from an instinctual beast like me, but I've found that there's a big difference between pretty and beautiful." This shocked the girls, as what little they understood of the being known as Fenrir, they knew that he was not the kind of person to say such insightful words. This resulted in an awkward silence, which lingered until someone finally said something.

"Now this is more how I should look! I'm totally ripped." Samson had quickly gotten used to a normal body, and was now flexing in front of the mirror that read _Power_, which showed him with muscles that would put a bodybuilder to shame. This confused everyone, but it did help to ease the tension from the air. While the others continued to look around, Fenrir went over to Samson.

"Thanks for that."

"What do you mean? I simply was admiring how much more accurately this mirror shows how I look." Samson gloated, but his eyes told another story. Glad for the assistance, Fenrir left it at that in order to keep an eye on Filia and Carol, with Samson quietly following behind him.

Hive and Leduc passed by a mirror featuring _Childhood_, and in it they saw each other when they were growing up at Lab 8, with Leduc in the most distractingly yellow shirt possible with contrasting blue jeans, and Hive in a slightly frayed dress that made her look adorable. Besides this, the only noticeable change was that Leduc had a far smaller version of the Taranis, and Hive was not even wearing any extension of the Beezle Bomb.

"Well this is nostalgic." Leduc said. One glance at her face let Leduc know that she was thinking the same thing. Unknown to anyone, the exact same thought passed through their minds:

_I want to confess, but what if I get rejected. Could we stay friends, even with that hanging over our heads? _The pair briefly caught each other's eyes, and just as quickly turned away blushing. Openness had never been Leduc's forte, and Hive was nervous about her feelings, especially because of their almost sibling-like bond as kids.

Unknown to the pair, there were two people talking about them, making a more direct route to the arch.

"Think Hive and Leduc will ever actually get together, Doctor?" Ragnorok enquired, and the old soul could only ponder his question. Having seen them group up together for almost a decade now, Dr. Avian had always known Hive and Leduc's feelings for each other. He also knew that they were both fairly awkward socially, so relationships, especially of the romantic variety, wouldn't come easy to them.

"It's difficult to say. But if they did, I'm sure they'd be better for it. The problem is that they are so used to being in the Lab as if they were family; I imagine a relationship like that would be awkward. I suppose," Dr. Avian sighed, "I have some part in that. This world is still so unforgiving towards those with Parasites, so I've made a bit of a habit sheltering them."

"You can't blame yourself for that. Besides," Ragnorok pointed out, "your parasites are beginning to look and act more like prosthetics every day." The good doctor was confused about this statement.

"What do you mean?"

"You really should examine your own work a bit more carefully. For a man that runs a Lab for creating living weapons, a lot of what you make has a double purpose. From what he told me, Leduc was a war orphan, and he lost his limbs in the crossfire and you gave him the Taranis, an actual set of artificial arms and legs. As for Peacock, she is probably of a similar ilk, am I right?"

Avian did not respond, but his stunned silence was all the answer Ragnorok needed. Unintentionally, he looked right into a nearby mirror that read _Dream_, and in it he saw a world untouched by war. He also saw that Leduc and the others were living normal lives, no sign of the war, their suffering, and without a need for any of their parasites. Taking a deep breath, he shared a thought that passed through his mind every day for years now:

"Is it wrong to want you and the others to not have to suffer? All my life, the Great War ended up causing nothing but death and hate, and all the so called "scientific progress" I and the other ASG Labs created did nothing but add more fuel to the fire. Now that it's over, I want at least your generation to not have to bear that same suffering. Is that too much to ask?" Dr. Avian knelt, now feeling very old and tired after his emotional vent. Once he let him sit there for a few minutes, Ragnorok grabbed Dr. Avian's shoulder.

"No matter what happened during the war, what matters is what you do in the here and now. So if you want your better world, the best thing you can do is keep helping all of us that have nowhere to go, and use your work to help people." The good doctor looked at Ragnorok, and seeing that he was being completely honest, started grinning, chuckling a little. "What, did I say something weird?"

"No, it's not that. It's just, for a moment, you sounded so much like my teacher, Dr. Geigar."

"Giegar? You mean the head of the original ASG Lab? You were his student?" Ragnorok gawked, astounded that someone he knew had been personally taught by one of the most famous scientists in the Canopy Kingdom.

"Not just me, but the other ASG Lab heads were also his students. But he always told us that our role as scientists, in his own words were 'to act like the bishops in chess: not one for direct action, but very capable at creating opportunities.' By his logic, I suppose people like you, Ben, and all the other creations would be knights, seeing as you're the ones that do most of the fighting."

"Then who's the king? Would it be the kingdom?" Once again, Dr. Avian laughed at this.

"Had you asked Geiger, that would have been his answer. But none of us could agree. Some agreed with him, others thought it was our research. I myself have always maintained a different answer."

"What is it then?"

"Perhaps I'll tell you when you're older. Who knows, maybe by then you will have found the answer for yourself." Knowing he wouldn't get a better answer than that, Ragnorok just remained silent, and the two continued onward to the other end of the room.

Somehow or another, all three groups ended up arriving at the arch at the same time, which as it turned out, actually led into a somewhat smaller room. In it, the walls were like the mirrors outside, allowing the group to see themselves from every angle as they walked by them. However, the whole wall in front of them was instead pitch-black, almost as if it were absorbing light rather than reflecting it. Because of this, it stood out like a sore thumb. What was especially noticeable was that right on top of the area was another one of the plaques, much like the ones on the mirrors outside. Instead of a single word, however, there was a little poem:

_Those that wish to use the Gateway of the Past_

_Must ensure that they follow the rules to the last._

_To start with, if you try to access a memory you yourself can't recall,_

_Then it will not work at all._

_As well, bear in mind that memories will never lie, _

_Regardless of how they seem to the eye._

_With that in mind, take a stroll down memory lane,_

_Reliving both times of glory and pain._

Most of the group stood there, reading those words and trying to make sense of them. Ragnorok, however, seemed unaffected by what they said, with a knowing grin.

"Those are the rules we have to follow here. Put simply, this is a place made to access memories, and while you can access them anywhere, the ability is strongest her. The only rules are you can't access memories you can't recall yourself, and these memories are the genuine article, regardless of how strange they seem. But then, I suppose it's easier to show you rather than keep explaining it." And he held out his hand, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Slowly, a door began to materialize, but it stopped halfway. It was actually quite strange looking, and this phantom-like state made it hard to discern what the door actually looked like. When he opened his eyes, Ragnorok had a thoroughly disgruntled look on his face

"Oh darn." Fenrir shoved his arm aside.

"Step aside, I'll show you how it's done." Fenrir attempted to repeat Ragnorok's actions, but his door barely materialized either, looking more like a rectangular piece of static than a phantom image. Ragnorok opened his mouth to comment, but Fenrir looked him dead in the eye.

" .Word." Ragnorok continued looking annoyed, leaving the two to be in an awkward silence. It was Ragnorok who inevitably broke it again.

"Well looks like we have no choice." Aiden declared, holding his hand out towards Fenrir.

"We can't. We've only got two uses left, and we can't afford to waste it before the fight starts." Fenrir warned

"Maybe" Ragnorok retorted, "but Hive, Leduc, and the others deserve an explanation. We owe it to them" Fenrir growled, trying to develop any sort of counter, and he could only stare at his opposite, unable to do anything else.

For the rest of the group, this behavior seemed bizarre, as Fenrir was at least twice Ragnorok's size and build, and yet he was the one being talked down to. Had the situation not been as serious to them, it would have been hilarious.

Then, with a feeling of intense regret, Fenrir took his hand, and the pair began to glow again.

"I still think this is a stupid idea." Ragnorok laughed at that.

"Oh come now, Fen, you know we've done dumber." Knowing what came next, Filia and the others turned away from the two, preventing them from being blinded by the massive flash of light. When it faded, they looked and saw that Aiden was back, looking just as he had when he had left.

"I just hope I don't end up regretting it." He then turned to the group apologetically. "Sorry about that. I have issues. So let's address them." And with a snap of his fingers, the two doors became one and fully materialized into its full splendor. It was interesting too be sure, as it seemed to be made entirely from a tree, with little branches coming off the door in places, little knots all over the place, and even leaves on it. Even the door knob was made of wood, a smooth sort of hickory, distinctly different from the rest of the door's wood. The most stand-out trait; however, was that the top of the door had a plaque with his face on it, a familiar looking marking. Along with that, there was a familiar feeling emanating from the door.

"This door." Filia declared, "it-it almost feels like-"

"Like the one you made before?" Aiden enquired, to which Filia nodded. "That's not too surprising. This door, just like the one you made, is a gateway you can use to access memories, provided you know what to do. And its actually simple: just think about what you want to show and open the door. Or to put it another way…" Aiden said, holding his hand out, clearly in thought. Nothing seemed to be happening, but the way he was concentrating, it was clear something was going on. After a minute, Aiden exhaled, and started moving towards the door, but he stopped and turned about halfway there.

"Apologies, in advance, for anything you see, though I will try and downplay the more intense parts." Knowing that they'd have no way to comment on that, Aiden threw the door open.

Just like what had happened with Filia's earlier, several images began flying out of the door immediately, but they were moving too fast to be seen, and they were only getting faster. While this was happening, everyone began to feel their heads hurt, gentle throbs at first, but gradually transforming into a full splitting headache. Then, in a brilliant flash of light…

"_Aiden? Aiden? It's time to wake up." my mother's voice hollered at me. With a yawn, I arose from bed and moved to my closet, trying to determine what to wear. After thinking for a moment, I opted for my favorite purple robes. Within a few minutes, I was all dressed and downstairs, where my parents were already at the table, dressed in their more typical white and red robes. Everyone said that I was the spitting image of my father as a boy, with his short, black hair, pale skin, and being a bit on the lanky side. The exception was my eyes, as rather than my father's emerald eyes, I instead was bestowed my mother's sapphire eyes. _

_On the table a feast of a breakfast was set up. Pancakes, fresh boar-sausage, scrambled eggs, and right at the center was one of mother's delectable cupcakes, with a little candle sitting on top of it. _

_At the sight of this and my ear-to-ear grin, both my parents were laughing. My father patted me on the head._

"_Happy Birthday, son. We got things all nice and ready to celebrate your special day. We have a fun day planned ahead, but for now, let's enjoy this feast." He didn't need to tell me twice, and I had already moved to my spot at the table, nearest where the cupcake was. Strangely, it was only when looking at me sitting down and grabbing it when mother noticed the cupcake. Looking a little annoyed, she turned towards father_

"_Now Harry. I thought we agreed we wouldn't spoil his breakfast." With a chuckle, father turned towards mother, hugging her slightly. _

"_Oh come on, Morg. We can let him have a little fun on his birthday." Even as he was saying this, he was pulling her closer to do that kissing thing. I still don't get that, in spite of the numerous times both mother and father have told me I'd understand it when I was older. Rather than pay attention to them however, I started on the cupcake, quickly pulling out the candle. As I thought, it was one of her chocolate cupcakes, with a little whipped cream put into its center. Simply heavenly. _

_Once they'd finished what they were doing, both looked at the now gone cupcake, and then at my hands, which had gotten a little chocolate on them. With a sigh, she grabbed a napkin and cleaned my hands off._

"_I guess one is fine. But do try at enjoy a full breakfast as well." _

"_Yes, mother." I exclaimed, and we all sat around the table. Even with the cupcake in me, I still managed seconds of everything. It was right as we finished that we heard a knock at the door. Both mother and father had surprised looks on their faces, so I guess that meant they weren't expecting anyone. Still looking confused, father went to the door, and found upon opening it a strangely proportioned woman in a nurse's outfit. With crimson hair and glasses, she had a standing that screamed authority. Behind her were similarly, though none as ridiculously, proportioned ladies, including one with black hair and a strange face-mask, a blond with horns, and a brown haired woman that was as tall as she was wide. There was one other right near the front, a blue haired lady bearing an eye patch, that seemed strangely familiar, but I couldn't remember why._

"_Who are you?" my father inquired, a concerned look on his face. This caused the woman in front to smile, but instead of feeling warm, all her's did was send a chill down my spine._

"_Our apologies, sir, perhaps a brief introduction is in order. My name is Christmas, and my associates and I are rather interested in recent medical results found in your son. Isn't that right, Valentine?" The blue haired woman grinned._

"_That's right. Based on what I found, he'll be perfect for a little experiment we've been trying to find subjects for." It was then I recognized that blue-haired woman: a few months ago I had my regular physical checkup, and she had been the one there instead of my usual doctor, and she ended up taking a little of my blood, which really hurt._

"_What do you mean? What experiments? I don't know who you are, but you can get out of my-"before father could finish his threat, a syringe found its way into the side of his neck, and he quickly passed out. Mother screamed, and then shortly shared the same fate. I was alone._

"_Jeez, Hallow, did you have to knock them out before we could even finish talking." Christmas said. I looked, and saw that the black-haired woman did, in fact, have a syringe that looked a lot like the one my parents had in their neck, with a strange blue liquid inside it._

"_The conversation wasn't going anywhere, so I took care of it." The mask made her voice sound strangely distorted, almost as if there was a buzzing sound blocking it. "Besides, my way's faster."_

"_Fair enough" Christmas sighed. "Valentine, would you care to finish the job? Brain Drain was explicit that we not damage the subject until we get to the Lab." Before I could even react, the blue haired woman had seemingly disappeared, and the next thing I felt was some sort of mask put over my face. I feel myself fading._

…

_**ITS TIME TO AWAKEN, CHILD.**_

_What the heck? Some strange voice just came from seemingly everywhere at once. Shocked, I opened my eyes, and found that I was being restrained on a table like the ones mother and father use to operate on people. Surrounding me were those same nurses from before._

_That's right, they'd knocked my parents and I unconscious. But where did they take me? I couldn't seem to move my head that much, but I could see all along the ceiling were these strange tanks. Inside them looked like… dolls of some kind, though only the base of their bodies._

"_Who are you? Where am I? Where are my parents!?" I screamed, terrified and desperate for answers. I struggled, but the bonds didn't even budge. Valentine moved, so now I was looking up at her instead of the pods._

"_You're at the Anti-Skullgirl Lab 0, a special science group devoted to develop methods of fighting the Skullgirl. And you, little boy, just happen to be our most recent subject." I was far too terrified to react, so she just continued. "When I did your regular health test, results showed a positive ability for projects M and O. With those kinds of results, we just simply had to have you, but legal methods would be cumbersome, so we took a more… direct approach if you will."_

"_Valentine." The red-head from before said. "We're ready to begin. You can stop chatting with the subject." _

"_Yeesh, no need to be so clinical." As she was about to leave, I asked one last question._

"_I heard a man's voice. Where is he?" The way she looked at me, with her smug grin turned into a pained one, I knew it wasn't' good._

"_That would be Brain Drain, our boss and head scientist. However, he isn't a fan of doing unnecessary work, so I doubt you'll see much of him until after most of the work has been done. But enough about that, it's time for some major surgery." Before I could say anything else, I felt a prick in my neck, and back to passing out._

…

"_Fenrir Drive appears to be stable. Testing for reaction._

_BZZT!_

"_Aaaahhh!"_

"_Sounded like a positive reaction. The host is entirely connected with the Fenrir Drive."_

"_Then we are ready to proceed. Move on to the Gungir and examine soul contamination."_

"_Roger."_

_SQUI._

"_AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"_

"_Body accepting as normal. Soul contamination stabilized. No signs of rejection, Doctor._

"_Good, establishing control now."_

…

_Everything hurts. Bones feel torn. Blood burning. Head in agony. Why won't the pain stop?_

_**LOCATE AND DESTROY THE SKULLGIRL. RETRIEVE THE SKULLHEART.**_

_What?_

_**LOCATE AND DESTROY THE SKULLGIRL. RETRIEVE THE SKULLHEART.**_

_Will it make the pain stop?_

_**YES.**_

_Very well then. Mission accepted._

_**ENSURE THAT IT IS BROUGHT TO ME SAFELY. MY NEWEST MINION, MY RAGNOROK. **_

…

_Hunt. _

_Find the target. _

_Located. _

_Aberrants interfering with access. _

_Terminating._

_Obstacles eliminated. Now proceeding to target._

_AAAGGGHHH! _

_Blood burning. _

_Pain._

_Pain. _

…

_Where am I?_

_Wait a sec, who am I even? _

"_Subject Ragnorok. Are you still functioning?" _

_Ragnorok? Is that that my name? I looked up and saw there were five nurses, with the red-head in tow. _

_But why can't I recognize her?_

Run.

_Huh? Who said that?_

Run. You have to get away from them. They'll just hurt you more.

_Where are you? It sounds like your all around me._

Do you want to Live?

_Of course I do. But who are you and what am I doing here?_

"_Subject Ragnorok, respond!"_

Don't know, and don't care. We need to escape now!

"_He's unresponsive. Valentine, good thinking using the Gungir to sedate him. We can study the cause of the problem back at Lab Zero."_

_Lab Zero? That sounds familiar. Wait… AUGHH! NO! NEED TO RUN FROM THEM!_

Too slow. Taking control.

"_Subject Ragnorok, why did you start screaming?" _

_Wait, something's wrong. My body's starting to move, but I'm not controlling it._

"_Get away."_

"_What was that?"_

"_Get Away!"_

"_AAAHHH."_

"_Christmas, Valentine, are you okay?"_

_What the heck? You attacked them._

_Gotta escape. Getting, dizzy…_

Just as quickly as it had started, the images around them faded, and the door slammed shut of its own accord. No one talked for a moment. While to their bodies mere seconds passed, what had transpired felt like a few years. And they experienced it fully: almost as if these foreign memories were their own. When Filia looked up, she saw Aiden had moved near Carol, who looked like she was having a panic attack. She was even more surprised when Aiden grabbed her in a hug, and started to pat her back, all the while whispering calming words.

"It's ok. It's ok. You're safe now." After a few minutes, Carol's gasps turned into hiccups, and she started to cool down. "Feel better now?"

"Yeah. That was just a little too familiar."

"Well don't worry. I won't let them hurt anyone again." With a sigh, Aiden released himself from Carol, and turned towards the rest of the group. "So now you know Who I am. Leduc was the first to speak, one bit of confusion left that needed addressed.

"So Ragnorok and Fenrir… they're a part of you?" Leduc inquired.

"Correct. And during my ventures over the past four years, they discovered how to bond back together. Sadly, there are some hefty limitations."

"Limitations? Like what?" Hive asked.

"It's ironic, really: The limitations are caused by the same thing that freed me from Brain Drain. This Skullgirl blood in my veins took the shattered pieces of my mind and started the healing process. However, when its whole and I'm awake, I can only stay like this for thirty minutes at any given time. After that, the blood will start rebelling against me, forcing a separation. It's also too taxing on my body to be done infinitely, so as I am now, six is the maximum number of bonds in a day."

"So wait." A recovered Carol interrupts. "Does that mean I'll have the same limitation trying to keep my body in control?"

"No," Aiden replies, "This problem is exclusive to me, as the Skullgirl's blood specifically reacts like this with men. For you, the only thing to fight is Brain Drain's psychological assault. Easier said than done, but you have more than enough people here to help you overcome such an obstacle." In spite of herself, Carol found herself comforted by Aiden's words, especially the certainty of her healing. "Now, as much as it hurts to open up old wounds, I have a question: did Valentine find you the same way?" While she had a puzzled look on her face for a moment, it became one of realization.

"Yeah, it was almost exactly the same. Valentine came to school, but she was claiming it to be some sort of blood drive. A few days later, she came to my door, attacked my parents, and then knocked me out. That next thing I remember after that was being at Lab Zero." She stopped there, and the others could easily understand why, given what they'd just seen. Filia gave her a look of concern, but opted to remain silent.

"I see." Aiden said. "It makes sense as a method to find subjects, especially because of Valentines interesting choice in attire. But wait, you said only Valentine attacked. Where were the other Last Hope members?" he inquired.

"I don't know. The only two people I saw were Valentine and Brain Drain." Carol explained.

"I think I can answer that." Dr Avian declared. "Little over a year ago, Last Hope went on a mission. I don't know what it was, but whatever happened, Valentine was the sole survivor."

"Wow." Aiden breathed, a look of genuine surprise on his face. After taking a second to regain his composure, he continued. "I guess that's good to know. Truth be told, I was afraid the whole of Last Hope would be attacking, but Valentine on her own may be manageable. Well, her and whatever subjects she brings. Speaking of which," with a snap of his fingers, a clock appeared in the air above them, reading the time 11:45. "Crap, we're low on time. I wanted to ask some more questions, but it's a little late for that." At this point, everyone was accepting of the fact Aiden could make things appear out of thin air, so they just rolled with it. "But there is something I want to show you guys." He went over to his door again, and then took a breath. With a quick motion, the door opened, and a smaller series of images flew out and began to circle the group…

"_So your mind is made up? You have to leave now?"_

"_I don't have a choice. These dreams have been getting worse, Dr. Avian. I keep seeing things, but none of it makes any sense." Dr. Avian kept looking at me, like he can almost see what's happening in my head._

"_What is it you're seeing?" he inquires._

"_It's all strange. A battlefield, bits of another Lab, that blue-hard woman Valentine, and some voice that keeps calling me son."_

Yeah_ Fenrir says, still giving me a strange feeling whenever he talks. Almost like the phantom of a headache. _And that battlefield we were at. But none of it makes a lick of sense.

"_I see." Even as he says this, I notice a strange sort of look on his face, like he's tempted to say something. "I guess you're old enough for me to tell you." And he turns to his computer, and began to pull up a series of files. In a few minutes, he scooted his seat aside for me to look. While some of it didn't make any sense to me, there was one bit that instantly caught my eye:_

_SUBJECT RAGNOROK_

_REAL NAME: Aiden Donovan_

_ORIGIN: Unknown_

_TESTS: PROJECT M and PROJECT O_

"_This… this is about me?"_

"_Yes. I considered showing this to you before, but these past two years have been needed for your recovery. I was afraid these may have done more harm than good before now. But if you're going to find answers, you need to know at least something."_

"_Aiden. Is that my real name?" A flash of pain suddenly rose up in my head._

Ah. Going by that, I'd say yes. And don't be greedy- it's my name too.

"_Sorry, Fenrir. But it's an excellent lead."_

"_Actually, the name Donovan is even better, as its actually quite a common surname in the Chess Kingdom."_

"_The Chess Kingdom? So… wait, that means I'm not even from the Canopy Kingdom." I felt a hand on my shoulder as Dr. Avian gave me a soft look of comfort._

"_I wouldn't worry about that. Over half of the lab residents are foreigners in some capacity. Besides, you know that you'll always have your home here."_

_Thanks, sir. But one other thing: you have any clues what Projects M and O are?_

"_To hazard a guess, Project O is the process of inputting multiple parasites into a person's body. As for Project M, I happen to be all too familiar with that work."_

"_Why? What is it for?"_

"_It was Brain Drain's debut project almost 40 years ago. It was to splice animal DNA into humans, allowing for hybrid super-soldiers. But the results never worked, and the twelve experiments died terribly. As far as I know, you're the sole survivor."_

"_So the Fenrir Drive isn't what gives me fangs and claws? Then why aren't I beasting out all the time?_

"_Hard to say. But given a guess, I think it's the Gungir Unit, though likely as an unintended side effect"_

"_Good to know. By the way, do you think you could tell Hive and Leduc I said goodbye."_

"_Can't you do it? It's what they would want."_

"_Maybe, but I can't say goodbye to them directly. Its tearing Fenrir and I up as it is just leaving-I think one of us would break down trying to say it to them."_

"_Very well, then. But do you know when you'll be back?"_

"_I hope to be back in a year or two, but I only plan on coming back once I know who I am."_

Just like before, the images faded around them, and the door once again slammed shut. This time, the door itself disappeared, and the clock changed to read 11:50.

"Consider that an apology." Aiden spoke quietly, moving back towards the group. Hive and Leduc looked at Aiden for a moment, still processing this new information. Making a choice, they hugged Aiden.

"Hey, forgiving each other is what friends are for." Hive whispered. With a grin, Aiden returned the hug, but after a minute removed himself from it.

"I wish we could continue, but in a few minutes we're going to be under attack. We should head out now before they get here." With a wave of his hands, the clock disappeared, and at the arch those same doors they used to get in the Reflecting Room appeared, doors wide open. "Ladies first." Filia and Carol left the room first, Samson in tow, with Hive and Leduc following close behind. Dr. Avian was next, and as Aiden left, the doors shut, and once again vanished, almost like they were never there at all.

**Little Insmouth, 11:50 P.M**

Valentine looked in the area around her, trying to locate someone. At the same time, she was bothered by what Brain Drain had told her: someone had actually defeated Painwheel, and whoever it was had enough skill to avoid being identified by telepathy. The only thing he could confirm was that she had been taken to Lab Eight, and was there with it.

_I only know two people that could avoid detection so well, but they're long dead now. Moreover, Painwheel isn't a slouch, and yet not only was she defeated, but she was captured. Who could do that?_

"Ms. Valentine." Turning towards the voice, Valentine saw what to anyone else would be an unassuming nun. With blond hair and closed eyes, she looked to be in a constant state of prayer. But Valentine knew better, and that when she needed to, the woman before her could transform into a monster that served only the will of "The Trinity". Not that Valentine believed in them.

"Double. It's been far too long. How are things in your neck of the woods?"

"Spare me the idle chit-chat, Valentine. You know why I'm here." For all of her concern, it brought a smug smile to her face to see Double concerned about something.

"You here to attack Lab 8 too?

"Correct. A potential threat to the Skullgirl has arisen, and I must see to it personally."

Well you can join me if you want. Oh, but you'll have to wait: I have friends coming in."

"Friends?" Even as she asked this, three figures descended from a nearby roof, all falling in line behind her. It was difficult to figure out anything about them, as each was wearing a full cloak on their bodies, and each was adorned with a mask: the tallest wore a crying mask, the shortest with a smiling mask, and between the two was someone bearing a mask with a neutral expression. Even without their attire, Double felt a strange feeling in her about them, something dangerous and volatile. Most particularly, the one in the middle exuded this feeling, almost like a sort of gravity around him.

"Punctual as ever. Excellent job, guys." Strangely, only the middle one seemed to be looking at Valentine had their masks toward Double.

"Oh what? You expect us to slaughter the Lab 8 asses while babysitting a nun." The smiling mask said, her voice unmistakably that of a woman.

"Nyx has a point. Unless she's strong, there's no point in having her around. We have no time for dead weight." This elicited a pang of annoyance from Double, and simultaneously a chuckle from Valentine.

"Looks can be deceiving. I can say from personal experience she's just as strong as you lot. Maybe even better."

"Bullshit!" Nyx retorted, and threw a punch at Double. Without so much as blinking, one of her hands became large and muscley, easily blocking the attack.

"Don't try my patience, child. I have no problem working with others to eliminate this threat, but any that oppose me or the Trinity's will shall be eradicated." Annoyed by her remark, Nyx reached into her robe, but before anyone even noticed, her hand was stopped by the neutral mask.

"Save the fighting for Lab 8. Afterwards, do what you want, but for now we're allies." Almost instantly, Nyx stopped, so that when he let it go, she just let her arm fall. In spite of his soft tenor voice, the way he seemed to hold command over others sent a chill throughout Double's being. "My apologies. She just gets a little too excited. But I do believe we have some introductions in order. The frowning cynic over there is R-1, codename Nidhogg, but he happens to go by Caldur off the clock."

"Excellent block. I suppose that means you'll be useful after all." Caldur stated, no trace of real emotion in his voice.

"Like I said, total cynic and jerk. And smiles here is R-2, codename Nott, also called Rebecca."

"Looks like you could be fun after all." Rebecca chortled.

"And I am Abram, or officially Subject Phi."

"Why do they wear masks?" Double asked Valentine.

"Its… complicated. Let's just say it would be in poor taste to spoil the surprise." Knowing that weaseling out information from Valentine would be more trouble than it's worth, Double left it at that.

"Very well. If no one else is coming, then let's begin."


	11. Chapter 11: Let's Have a Battle

** You all have every right to be mad for this taking so long, but here is a brief version of why this was so horrendously delayed: writers block, college classes, essays, writers block, deeply personal issues, more classes, and did I mention writer's block yet? Still there are no excuses, and since I am no longer writing full short stories for a class I will be working to update more regularly, but I can go into full detail in at the bottom. You all have waited long enough, so now It's Showtime!**

Chapter 11: Let's Have a Battle

"Now Patricia," Ileum cautioned for about the millionth time, "remember your instructions."

"Yeah I know: you two get to have all the fun and then I pick up after your mess." Peacock groaned. She wanted to stand guard alone-well alone with her gang of caricature goons-but instead had to be accompanied by Big Band and Ileum.

"You shouldn't go around underestimating your opponent like that." Big Band warned. "You may just end up biting off more than you can chew."

"Are you ignorin' the fight earlier? I totally mopped the floor with that Fido runt, and probably could have done it with one hand behind my back." Suddenly, static suddenly emitted in the ears of the three, and Dr Avian interrupted.

"I hope we don't have to find out: you two caused enough of a mess without fighting seriously. I shudder to think the sort of trouble the Lab would be in if that happened."

"It wasn't that bad." Peacock muttered.

"Oh really? There's enough collateral damage between the pair of you to have demolished half of New Meridian." An awkward silence filled the air. While Peacock would normally revel in the destruction she caused, something in the singularly sane part of her mind always writhed whenever Dr. Avian was disappointed in her. Realizing what he said, Dr. Avian added, "That said, you are both still young: in time you will discover more about how to use your talents properly. You may even become something greater."

"A toy line?" Peacock asked. This got a chuckle from all present.

"No. A hero." With a breath, Dr Avian continued, "By the way, Leduc, Hive, and Ragnorok will be heading up there for backup. I have his guests with me en route to The Observatory. Best of luck, all of you."

"Same to you, Doctor Avian." Ileum sighed out of what Peacock guessed was relief. It was a bit hard to tell what she was thinking with that mask covering her face. With some static Dr. Avian faded out, leaving the trio alone again.

Ignoring any further thoughts in that direction, Peacock began to ponder. Specifically, she was pondering about the three new guests, none of whom added up. The girl with the talking parasite seemed innocent enough by the look of her, but she was the expert of how deceiving looks could be. The other one-the girl from Lab 0, or The Bad Lab as the younger children called it- seemed broken in a way that felt a little too familiar. Peacock doubted she would be any trouble, but she could be a fun source of mischief and mayhem.

Then there was the punk Ragnorok. He comes in and all of a sudden everyone's giving him warm welcomes and getting all the attention from the Doc. It was enough to make her grind her teeth. Well she'd show him: she'd make him pay for stealing her spotlight. She'd find him in a dark corner of the Lab and-

_You know, it's quite rude to plot hurting a person behind their back._

"Huh?" Peacock looked at Ben and Ileum. "One of you two say that?" They both stared at Peacock, like they thought she was crazy-at least more than usual.

_Then again, I suppose it can be considered rude that you want to hurt someone in the first place. _This time Peacock recognized that growl of a voice.

"Where are you? If you 'wanna complain so much them come out and fight." A light sigh seemed to emanate from all around her.

_If I didn't know any better, I'd swear Peacock was a cat the way you two bicker. Now please stop goading each other. I'm trying to have a normal conversation and you two are being incredibly noisy._

"Are you okay, Patricia?" Ileum inquired full of concern. Peacock started to grip the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah, just Dog Breath. He's talking to me in my head." Like most oddities that came with their lifestyle, Ben and Ileum merely gave a simple "oh" before returning to their watch. Leaving Fenrir and Peacock to have more potential arguments, Ragnorok turned back towards his friends.

"Okay, so where were we?"

Carol, meanwhile, was thoroughly lost in thought. One of her calloused hands was still gripping onto the mask she'd long thought stuck on her face permanently. Instead, Aiden gave a theory that seemed almost impossible to believe. Then again, a few hours ago she thought controlling her own body was impossible. That she was doomed to be a puppet, a thing, a-

"Carol." A firm grip on her other hand and her name brought Carol back to reality. She turned to see Filia, with a concerned look on her face. "Are you okay?" Carol took a deep breath to collect herself before answering.

"Yeah, sorry. Just… some things on my mind." Filia gripped Carol's hand a little tighter, forming a pleasant warmth between them.

"I'm here for you Carol. Never forget that." She assured Carol in a soft tone. It was an immeasurable relief to have her friend back. Filia was always the calm of her storm, and that didn't seem likely to change too much. Her memories had yet to fully return, but both Aiden and Dr. Avian theorized it was her brain trying to combine these old memories with her current ones and would pass with time.

"Oh, somebody gag me."

The hair parasite, on the other hand, would be a permanent factor that would take some getting used to.

"Samson, don't be rude. Carol's my best friend." Filia sighed, used to Samson's petty moments, which happened frequently.

"Give me a break. You two have been acting like this since we got up, and it's piss boring." Samson groaned

"Well then you should have thought of that before you chose to bond with Filia." Dr. Avian chided lightly. Finding no retort, Samson just decided to sulk and stay quiet.

Of all of the new people Carol had met tonight, he was the one that confused her the most. The ASG were never talked about in a good light in spite of their usefulness during wartimes. More often than not the rumors were always of monsters and twisted mad scientists. Having been at Lab Zero for a year, Carol could attest to at least some of that being true, but Dr. Avian was none of that. He just looked like an old scientist and had left the girls to talk between themselves while leading them somewhere safe. And the way he talked to Peacock before seemed far more nurturing than the callous Brain Drain.

They were about to reach a tall door made purely of metal with a number pad to the side. The door itself looked near impenetrable, without a single mark or scratch on it, unlike the other walls which seemed worm by age and other odds and ends the girls were content to figure out later. Instead of reaching for the pad, however, Dr. Avian turned towards them.

"I want you both to know that whatever happens after tonight will be entirely your own choice. You can stay here and know we will do everything in our power to protect all of you, Samson included. However," he declared, "If for even a second either of your allegiances comes into question we will demand answers. Can I trust both of you girls to be honest with me?" Carol and Filia looked at each other. Saying yes would mean allowing all of the strangeness of the ASG to become a full part of their lives, for good or for ill. Carol hesitantly nodded, and Filia followed suit.

"Yeah you can trust us." This caused Dr. Avian to break out into a relieved smile, and he turned to enter a code too fast for either girl to catch.

"In that case it seems fitting that I formally welcome you as the head of ASG Lab 8 to my humble abode." The door slid open seamlessly on a track and revealed a mid-sized room that was anything but humble. Four seats overlooked dozens of small televisions along the walls to either side of them with each one having its own number, and the front wall was covered with two televisions that were currently off. Connecting to them was a console that led to the chairs where another number pad and other buttons laid.

Dr. Avian opted to take the center seat closest to the mess and started pressing buttons. "This is The Observatory, for the time being at least the safest location in Lab 8. These smaller screens are connected to cameras scattered all throughout the Lab, so we can keep a close eye on the action without getting caught up in it." Samson just continued to sulk, giving only a growl of acknowledgement. Choosing to ignore him Dr. Avian continued "Patricia can actually see what each of these smaller screens show individually. As for those with more typical vision that have up to two locations in mind…" with a final keystroke both TV's turned on, both showing a different part of Lab 8. The left showed the area under the bridge Aiden had brought the pair to earlier; with Peacock, Big Band, and Ileum now sitting and waiting with their heads forward. Both girls found themselves awestruck by the three bizarre people she saw until a motion turned them towards the other screen.

The center screen held an area that fell more in line with the old stories the girls heard about the ASG Labs: a giant vat with the number 88 painted onto it with pipes leading to several vats and tanks full of an amber liquid, including one right below it; a mechanical arm that seemed more fitting in a factory than a laboratory just idly swinging around; what looked unmistakably like a giant laser; and another console with statistical data running along each screen too fast to catch.

Sitting in front of this were Hive, Leduc, and Ragnorok having a very intense discussion too quiet for the camera to catch that appeared to be nearing its end. When they finished Ragnorok nodded at Hive and Leduc before walking over to the massive door leading outside. Leduc remained where he was and began talking into his communicator while Hive walked over to the camera. It was only when she covered most of the screen that she waved and spoke into her communicator, which the TV's transmitted in crisp quality.

"Hello. Are you up in The Observatory yet?"

"Yes Hive. We just got in a moment ago. Have you and the others developed a plan?"

"Yeah. Leduc is checking in with the others while Ragnorok keeps his focus on tracking Valentine and the others. If they get anywhere near here he or Peacock will let us know."

"Fantastic." Avian nodded. "What is it you have in mind?"

"Our current plan is to have Ben, Ileum, and Patricia lead whatever arrives into Lab 8 unless they can handle things on their own. Considering the lack of news we've heard it seems likely they are traveling in a small group, so all six of us should be more than enough to handle the situation. In a worst-case scenario you could still escape with Filia and Carol through the back-exit."

Dr. Avian blinked only to start chuckling lightly. "I'm impressed: all that in five minutes. That should be fine as long as the others are okay with it." A cursory look at the screens confirmed this as the others outside nodded in agreement, though Peacock had an annoyed look on her face. Leduc confirmed this to Hive with a nod. The short-lived peace was shattered as Ragnorok looked up, his eyes looking beyond the door and whispered two words quietly enough that even those in the room barely heard him.

"They're here."

"Well well, looks like the Freak Show just arrived." Ben and Ileum began to look around and faintly saw shadows on the other end of the path.

"Nice work Patricia. This everyone?" Peacock nodded.

"Ragnorok is getting the same," Leduc added, "but please remain cautious."

"Don't worry Leduc: we'll keep to the plan." Ileum whispered and then rendered silent as Valentine fully appeared with the three masked subjects in tow.

"Hellllooo Nurse." Peacock hollered, making Ileum blush in spite of herself behind her mask, recognizing the source of that comment. She'd need to be a bit more watchful of what Peacock was watching from now on. Unperturbed, Valentine just stared at her, reactions hidden behind her surgical mask.

"So this is the Subject Peacock I've been hearing so much about. What a precious little doll." The mockery in her tone missed the ears of none.

"Hey, watch it you-" but Big Band stopped her with a stare. Taking the initiative he looked towards Valentine.

"You seem lost Valentine. Lab 0 is a long ways off from here."

"Oh don't you worry about me. I just happen to be here on business." Big Band stared at the odd assortment following her.

"Business, huh? Why the entourage then? You can't be old enough to need aid already." A slight eye-twitch was the only reaction Valentine showed, though a snicker behind her could be heard.

"A subject recently got loose and it is of the upmost importance that we get her back, and according to Brain Drain she's in your Lab. This lot is here for location and restraint."

"His big ol' brain must finally be shot: only AGS Units 'round here are our own."

"Miss Valentine," the neutral mask interrupted, "I'd like to say something." Valentine glared at him for a moment but ultimately nodded. "Thank you. Now I can tolerate listening to many things, but lies are where I draw the line. We know Subject Fenrir is here too. "

Big Band was shocked. "How in the-"

"And normally I'd be more than willing to leave it at that, but you crossed a second line."

_Ben! Duck! _Fenrir's voiced screamed in Big Band's head.

"Wha-" Big Band stopped as the figure disappeared. He barely had time to look around before a sharp blow to the neck sent him crashing into the ground. All eyes fell on the young man as he flipped through the air and landed with inhuman grace.

"No one mocks Brain Drain in front of-"was all he could get out before a ridiculously large bullet caused his neck and something else to give a great *_crack*. _Peacock stood in front of him, finger still on the trigger and both the pistol and her body shaking slightly.

"Of course you realize this means war." Peacock growled.

*_Clap* Clap*Clap* _

"And here I was thinking this performance would require some actual effort. You have my deepest appreciation for making things so easy." Peacock and Ileum turned around to see the masked man and the others leaning on the door. While they were also near the bridge and the young man was clutching at his mask.

"This isn't possible." Ileum whispered. Beside her Big Band rose from the ground and took in the situation.

"That kid must have done a number on me. I'm starting to see double now."

"Introductions before explanations: You already know Valentine, the grinning one is Nott, frownie goes by Nidhogg, and as for me," he declared while pointing to each of his allies in turn before gesturing towards himself, "Call me Phi. As stated before our goal is simply to ensure that Painwheel is brought back home, but since you lot have resisted and the big guy mocked Brain Drain you all are going to brutally slaughtered." All the time he was talking his voice never strayed from a calm and eerily polite tone that sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"You must be taking strategy lessons from that egghead: you think no one is going to notice?" Ben retorted. "If the Egrets come you four will end up having a lot to talk about, and I guarantee people like you belong somewhere isolated with a special jacket."

The young figure responded with a hearty laugh. "Oh but that's the most beautiful part of this trick- even if someone could hear us right now the only audio caught will be from the fakes, who are presently developing a really emotional sob-story. So for all intents and purposes anyone who might look into this incident will believe that you started it and we killed everyone in self-defense."

If he had anything else to say Ileum's tendrils wrapped around his neck quickly silenced him while it continued to immobilize the rest of his body. The others, even Valentine, quickly followed suit. Behind her own mask Ileum's eyes were icy and furious.

"The first person to move will be returned to Lab Zero in pieces." Drill bits appeared near their throats to help emphasize her point. "Here is what will happen next: you are all going to leave here and never come back. If anything happens to Painwheel you will be the ones held responsible, and if you dare threaten our own again I will kill you personally." Very few had ever seen Ileum act this way-Big Band could only think of four times prior she had ever gotten that violent- and because of that all present were left in silence. Except for one.

"Please try to understand this is not personal." Slowly Valentine came into view holding a bone-saw specially made for her, but there was an odd slime on the blade. Before Ileum could think to respond an explosion of pain raced through her arms as the tendrils trapping the others fell away, her gloves landing on the ground behind them. "I'm only doing my job."

"You have my humblest gratitude Valentine." The other Valentine whispered, speaking far too eloquently. Then she began to shake and writhe as her body contorted and began to change its form

"Cut the act Double. Why in Gehenna did you let them capture you?" Slowly the being stopped as it settled on a form that could only be described as inhuman. There was certainly the base of a human woman but there were no legs or arms, a large gaping maw on the side of its body instead of a normal mouth, and a single red eye that surveyed the area. The worst part was the tentacles oozing around her body, constantly altering their forms and in one's case making grotesque faces.

"My deepest apologies." A calm and measured voice echoed from seemingly everywhere, almost as if the words flowed from the monster's entire body. "I was unsure if you would have possessed the skills to do so."

"Excuse me?! Are you really trying to start something now?" Double twisted her head with disturbing flexibility.

"I mean no insult, but I have never seen you and Ileum clash. Given that I had to assume I was the weaker party." And so the two continued bickering and mocking each other.

Filia could not look away from the screen with a horrified expression. "What on earth is that? Is she from that lab too?"

Dr. Avian stared in wonder. "I am still trying to figure out what that thing is. It clearly isn't human or an animal, but somehow it can speak…" Whatever he was about to say was cut off by Carol, who was silent until a moment ago and had her face contorted in agony.

"Can't think. Head feels like it is being stabbed." Soon the pain grew bad enough she dropped the mask and groaned in agony. Filia moved to her friend and wrapped her arms around Carol in an attempt to comfort her.

"Carol? What's wrong?"

_That thing outside reeks of Skullgirl blood, and for anyone with that in their veins the result is torture. Right now the only thing you can do is- _Ragnorok could not say anything else, and looking at the cameras Filia saw he had fallen to the ground visibly shaking.

"Did something happen? Dr. Avian?" The old man gazed at all the chaos with a resigned look on his face.

"I don't know." 

"Found them." Phi once again interrupted the ladies. "You two can have your little passive-aggressive spiel later. We have business to attend to."

"You have to make it past us first." Ileum's arms finally finished regenerating and she sent them flying at the young man, spikes ready to tear him to shreds.

"Nidhogg, if you would be so kind." The frowning one finally moved, turning his palm outwards.

"Schranke." Water flowed from his robe before pooling on the ground. Right when the tendrils were inches away the water became a solid wall that deflected them with ease. "I can handle her."

"Well how about us?" Peacock popped out of a hole in the ground one end while Ben charged from the other. Without warning two massive arms shot out of Double's sides and sent the two towards the bridge before the creature latched itself on one of the walls to follow.

"Ben! Patricia!" She attempted to reach out to her allies but Nidhogg once again raised his hand.

"Dichtung." Again the water altered form, this time into a sphere that covered the whole area around them. "Perhaps I was not clear before: you are my opponent."

Atop the bridge Double slithered forward to the sight of Peacock and Ben still collecting their bearings. Had she fingers they would have trembled with excitement, and had she a mouth it would have been in a satisfied grin.

"Your group has been allowed to interfere with my masters' plans for far too long. Prepare to receive your penance in blood."

Ben looked over to his young protégé. "This girl needs to be tuned out. Care for a duet Patricia?"

Patricia smiled at the sound of that. "Sure thing Ben. Let's rock."

With all obstacles removed Nott rushed the door and gave it a kick, leaving behind a sizable dent. "Don't mind little old me. I can let myself in." Again and again she beat the door down, laughing with demented glee. Right when the door looked ready to fall she reared back for one final attack. "Knock knock!" Just then the door opened enough for a waiting Hive with the Beezle Drive covering her arms with beehive protrusions to see outside.

"Swarm Blast." Hive said while thrusting her arms forward, producing two large metal bees that hit the girl in the face and knocked her back a few feet. "Stay out of my home." Unperturbed the young lady rose.

"Aw, that wasn't very nice of-" she stopped as a cracking sound was heard and the mask on her face began to break" You bitch!" Nott screamed and barreled towards Hive again. Unprepared for such a reaction it was Hive's turn to get sent flying, but reflexively the Beezle Drive produced a set of wings to prevent her from crashing into anything.

"Careful Nott: it would be a shame to end our fun too soon." Phi joked to his diminutive ally.

"Screw off! I can easily handle these wimps with one hand. " Keeping to her word she kept one hand on her face at all times and prepared to charge forward until Valentine stopped her.

"No. You two go on ahead and take care of Avian and Painwheel. I can entertain this lot for a little while." and instead she casually walked to an annoyed Leduc literally charged to go and Hive keeping to the air. "Hopefully you two can show me a good time."

A growl from the side turned their heads to the sight of Fenrir desperately stepping forward, fury burning in his eyes. He raised a fist only to begin clawing at his head with a gesture from Phi. "Perhaps I was being too subtle: you will remain here while we do our job. Once that is done I will personally come back and tear your Parasite out."

"Or we stop you right here!" Leduc surprised them and swept his leg out in front of him, causing the subjects to scatter. In a moment Valentine was in the air on a pole-arm fashioned after an IV with a calm air that was shattered when she suddenly started convulsing as Leduc was pouring several thousand watts into her weapon. "Hive, now!" Taking the signal she glided forward with her arms already producing a spear.

Moving on instinct Valentine slid her spear around Leduc's feet to knock him down before spinning it, whacking Hive in the chin and sending her flying. When she touched the ground again Valentine was still shaking but now with an added fury. "You two must really have a death wish." Taking advantage of the chaos Phi and Nott snuck into a hallway unnoticed by all but the young man with a migraine.

_Time for you to tag out. _With what little focus he had left Fenrir groaned.

_No. Valentine comes first._

_Another time maybe, but those two cannot be allowed to reach Avian and the girls. _Ragnorok answered as tactfully as possible

_We may not get another chance. _Fenrir snapped back.

_Neither will Carol if she gets captured, or anyone else if Avian gets killed. _Fenrir was getting annoyed but knew the truth in his partner's words.

_Try not to die._ The young warrior took a few deep breaths to regain his concentration before directing his thoughts to Hive and Leduc.

_I'm going after the others. Think you two could give me an opening?_

_Sure_. Hive began firing small stinger-shaped knives towards the ground, keeping Valentine moving more and more away from the door. Taking a chance Randolph darted for the door as quickly as possible while Valentine was busy dodging. When he passed by Valentine tried to reach out but was stopped by an uppercut from Leduc that she barely dodged.

Now free to roam Ragnorok extended his mind towards the others. _The old plan failed badly. Do you think you could hold your own in a fight if things went further south Filia? Given the situation we can probably hold off one. _Filia wasn't terribly sure but Samson took only needed a moment to think.

_Tough call. We're both still hurting from that last fight but push comes to shove we could at least keep them away from the door._ Carol was shocked at this statement, and Filia even more: Samson had never said something so selfless before.

_In that case I have an idea that will either save or get us killed. _He detailed it out, accepted the multiple times he called them crazy, and right when they accepted he finally caught up to Phi and Nott.

Ragnorok took a deep breath "Brain Drain must be a total wuss now, sending minions to clean up his messes." he howled. Both stopped in their tracks, frozen by some unseen force. Then Phi turned around, practically oozing hatred.

"Are you really that suicidal?" He turned towards Nott. "Keep going. I need to take care of this." Once she turned the next corner Phi returned his attention to Ragnorok. "While I am deeply curious as to how you escaped my mental attack I am also on a tight schedule, so please stay down." In an instant he was right by Ragnorok and delivered a kick to the kick to his neck with a loud crash. Phi's was satisfied until his foot refused to fall and was beginning to feel tight.

"To answer how is simply that I'm not weak like the other guy. I just prefer letting him handle the messy work." Taking a good look Phi saw that somehow Ragnorok had reacted fast enough to not only block the attack but lock his whole foot in a firm grip. The pain only intensified as they began to fall forward. "Stork Crash!" and the two collided on the ground, Ragnorok on top of Phi. While the young man rose and began heading down the hall Phi remained on the ground with his leg bent at a terrible angle.

"That worked out better than I dare hoped. Now for the other-" A fierce jolt to the back of his head nearly forced Ragnorok down on his knees. Looking back Phi had gotten up with his bad leg now snapped back in place.

"You know what? Nott can handle whatever little plans you contrived-I really want to savor this kill." He kicked forward. Ragnorok grabbed his leg again and motioned to throw it back, only for Phi to elbow him in the face and flip a fair distance away with Ragnorok still recovering. "Let's see how long you can keep up with perfection."

**It only took 7 months but here we are. I really am sorry about how long this took but I have plans to improve. For a start my beta-reader KingChaotixX7 and I have been figuring out exactly how my story will go and how long it will take along with a fun little surprise I will address once we get to it. Currently I plan on releasing a new chapter every 5-8 weeks with the sole exception of the next chapter because Finals Week is coming up which means a lot of busy work on my end. I also feel like I owe my loyal readers something for waiting so long so I came up with an idea: in my bio there will be a new poll of a series of one-shot ideas I have been mulling over for a while along with fan suggestions. Vote for your favorite and after the release of my next chapter I will pick the most popular and post that alongside the following one. **

**Talking more technical the Skullgirls game released its final version and included voice acting which… I overall really liked. For those that know both for the most part my characters sound the same with two exceptions: Hive because in this story she lacks the buzzing sound in her voice and Stanley because the video "Stanley's Lecture" exists and I feel the guy in that video perfectly captures the version I want to write. Nothing much else to say beyond have a lovely day and hope you all enjoyed this latest adventure.**


	12. Full Update: Chapter 12 Onwards

**Hey there everyone. In hindsight deleting the original update section may not have been the best idea since some people might be using the chapter count to keep track of my stories, so I wanted to go into a bit more detail on future plans here. For those interested in Chapter 11 that will be one section back. This is about future plans and little announcements I forgot to mention in the actual chapter**

Release Schedule: This is the part that you all likely want full details on. To make a long story short because of the classes I take a week can easily go by without me being able to write anything, so to counteract that problem all chapters from 12 onwards will be released once every 5-8 weeks with the potential exception of Chapter 12 because Finals week is coming up. In addition I plan on reducing the length of my stories because writing something that is 5000 words takes far too long and most of the following chapters will be a lot simpler in nature.

Beta-Reader: Rest assured that during the 7-month hiatus I was still working alongside my beta-reader KingChaotixX7. Along with discussing and planning out each other's stories we also have a surprise in the works. Unfortunately the most I can say here is that we have been working on it during the whole hiatus, but with any luck the result will be satisfying for everyone.

RWBY Story: Originally this was going to be a companion to my most recent chapter but in the time between 10 and 11 the whole of Volume 3 came out and I became less sure of my story idea because I genuinely have no idea how different the two will be. Out of respect for Monty Oum's work I will let the entire series play out and if my interest hasn't died down "Accidentally in Love" will be made.

Poll: Instead of starting a second story I instead want to apologize to all my readers for the long period off by setting up a poll that you can reach by going to my author page (click the blue part under the story's title and you will be sent there) and vote for one of five one-shots that either I came up with or one of you graciously suggested. The voting period will end upon the release of chapter 12 with the highest result will be made alongside Chapter 13, though I will keep the popularity of other ideas in mind should another hiatus come up.

Thank you everyone and I hope you all have a lovely day. Take Care.


	13. Chapter 12: When it Falls

**Hello everyone. Unfortunately Finals week combined with a busy summer really wore me down so this particular chapter took longer. I have two little announcements for all readers but those can wait for the end, so instead let's get this started.**

**It's Showtime!**

**Chapter 12: When it Falls**

Rebecca could hardly suppress her excitement as she tore through the halls: with all the others busy she got to have all the fun parts of the missions to herself. After cutting Dr. Avian's head off she could take all the the time she wanted to make sure Painwheel would come home quietly. Maybe she could slaughter the two idiots blocking her path earlier too. The very thought sent ecstasy coursing through her veins.

As Rebecca turned the final corner she was surprised to see Painwheel wasn't there, but instead in front of the door some little nobody was standing guard. She didn't even look strong: a scared and frankly chubby girl trying to put on a brave face with Parasite hair.

Then again anyone outside of the mission was fair game, so the brat could have at least one purpose.

"Hi there. I'm here to pick up Painy." The girl resolutely stood her ground with grim confidence.

"Not a chance." Rebecca pretended to sigh but internally was cheering. It is so much more fun when they put up a fight, even if only for a moment.

"Well in that case please do me a favor…" she jumped forward to rip the brat's throat out "and scream!" Right as Rebecca was closing in a large blow to the back sent her crashing hard to the ground.

"Now!'" Painwheel shouted while landing heavily on the ground beside her. Wasting no time Filia charged forward, Samson morphing into wings on her back..

"Gregor Samson." The partners yelled as they collided with Rebecca, sending her back to the far end of the hall and crashing into the back will with a great thud.

_That sounded loud. Are both of you okay?_ Fenrir's voice filled the friends' minds. Carol had to take a deep breath before answering.

_Yeah. Face hurts and… body… is still moving weird... but I am in control._ It was a mad idea Ragnorok had, but by putting on her mask Carol's body was able to fight, though more by muscle memory than actual thought. Provided Filia stayed nearby to keep her calm the two could in theory fight together. Unfortunately he was also right about the blades that had formed that scar on her face being in the mask, so she was constantly being forced to think past the pain.

_I just hope we can hold this psycho off. How are things on your end?_ Filia asked.

_Interesting. _Fenrir replied as his body was thrown unceremoniously to the ground. _Let me get back to you two on that._

"So how exactly do you think about two things at the same time?" Phi asked Ragnarok in the morbid sort of curiosity a pathologist questions how a person died. "Everything else about you is according to the files, but nothing has ever suggested telepathy at such a level, nor anything about some 'other guy'." Slowly Ragnorok got up, more annoyed than really hurt.

"Why not read my mind? If anything I would have assumed Brain Drain could teach his puppets at least that." Ragnarok retorted.

"Funny guy, but you already know the answer." Indeed half of the fight was spent with Ragnorok working to keep his and Fenrir's thoughts hidden by this man, and yet despite that every one of his reactions felt planned- as if he knew exactly what Ragnarok was going to do.

_Ready to try something crazy? _Ragnorok asked his other half, who was already infuriated at this pompous young man. After some quiet thought he raised his hands towards Phi, unmoving.

"Silence, eh? In that case I can just beat the answers out of you." Phi darted forward and threw a punch at Ragnarok's guard only to find that it collapsed instantly. It was only when his eyes turned red that Phi realized his punch was being diverted, and by then Fenrir had finished switching over and jammed his elbow into Phi's stomach.

"Beast Repulse." Fenrir carried the motion all the way to the ground, leaving his opponent hunched over and coughing in pain. "Since you happen to be lying down I'll ask you something- why bring Painwheel back if Lab 0 has you three? It would be far simpler to kill her."

This got a big laugh out of Phi, who was chuckling in-between coughs while shakily getting back on his feet. "Can't believe we truly care about the poor girl?" Fenrir threw a punch in response which the young man dodged with ease. "Okay, the truth then. We still need her for some experiments, particularly with that blood in her veins. Granted telling you this is meaningless because I'm about to kill you."

"Did I knock your brain around too? A few hits like that will put you down for good."

"Oh don't misunderstand, you are a powerful fighter and telepath. But regardless of that you and the 'other guy' are predictable. Watch!" Instantly Fenrir felt his head burn and switched over to Ragnarok, but to both their surprises Phi had gotten close enough to move his hand in a stabbing motion.

Ragnarok dodged it, but immediately a burning sensation sent him down to his knees. Sickly-black blood poured down on the ground.

"You see? The red-eyed idiot is easy to break mentally while you are too reliant on reacting than attacking, so against me both of you are useless." Phi took the time while his opponent was recovering to stretch his arms out, revealing fair but otherwise healthy-looking skin. "So I give you two choices- give up and I will let you beg Brain Drain for forgiveness or die here."

"How about neither." Ragnarok jumped forward, moving his arm in a chopping motion. Phi easily dodged this, but Ragnorok followed up with a second swing to the neck which he was certain landed, except his opponent had moved his neck to an odd angle and avoided the hit.

"Some people never learn." Phi sighed before kicking Ragnarok hard in the chest, sending him back quite a distance. Instead of capitalizing on this he squatted down, whole body relaxed in expectation of an answer.

_Let me out! I can kill him. _Fenrir roared in his partner's mind.

_No, he's right: fighting separately makes us too predictable. Dr. Avian, how are the others doing? _His thoughts were sent into the lone scientist carefully examining all the cameras that showed combat.

_Not bad yet. At the very least is holding their own, but for how long is a difficult question._

_In that case now is as good a time as any. _Ragnarok decided. _Let's rock!"_

Phi by this point was tapping his arm in annoyance at the silent warrior. "Look, maybe you are not terribly busy but I have serious work to..." He stopped as the young man's presence suddenly changed, becoming far calmer but strangely more intimidating.

"In that case apologies for the wait. As for my answer how about I try option three again?" It was Aiden's mismatched eyes that stared him down, a smile on his face hiding such malice that Phi immediately stood back up.

"Don't get arrogant just because your eyes changed colors. Whichever mind you wield your attacks are too weak for any real damage." He expected Aiden to yell, or snipe back a biting insult. That made it wholly unexpected when his grin grew as his hands reached for the four nails still embedded in his arms.

"You're right. How about we fix that?"

While this was going on Filia and Carol were dealing with the one called Nott as best as they could. Unfortunately they were under several disadvantages like still being worn from their fight against each other

"Getting bored here."

Nott could leap about the corridor with ease

"Are you even trying?"

And worst, the girl would not stop talking. Filia kept making swings with Samson, but thus far all of them only hit air. After one particularly bad miss she got above Filia with a foot raised high in the air.

"Missed me, missed me, now you gotta die ple-" before she could finish her song Nott found herself plucked out of the air by the Buer Drive, and was just as quickly sent flying by Carol tackling her.

"She's getting annoying." Carol growled, already starting to pant from the effort of keeping up with the psychotic girl. "We need to keep her in one place."

"But how?" Filia asked, but any responses had to be saved for the time being as Nott had recovered and proceeded to dart towards them.

"Come on now, I don't bite. I tear!" She swiped at both of them with something beneath her robe, but the girls narrowly dodged it. Nott continued this assault, though in-between attacks Filia couldn't help but notice how most of the strikes at Carol were wide in comparison to the precisely and otherwise fatal attacks dealt towards her. As an experiment she moved a step away from Carol, and by that much of a margin did the attacks move away from her friend.

It took a moment for it to click why. _She needs to take Carol alive so instead this… lunatic is trying to murder me._ The only question was how to use that knowledge, which was graciously answered in mere moments.

G_et her back in the hall. I might be able to lend a hand from there._ Aiden instructed Filia. She contemplated how to accomplish such a feat, and then took notice of another little detail: no matter what side she attacked from Nott always kept one hand on her mask. An idea formed in her mind, and with no alternatives she took it.

"Get ready Samson." Filia whispered to her parasite. She waited, carefully dodging between swings to stay in the same place, and after one particularly large swing at Carol she found an opening. "Now!" Filia threw out a kick, which Samson quickly reinforced with hair, straight at Nott's face. Fearing what would happen next she then sprinted towards the hall, and at that exact moment Nott screamed.

"That's it: the job can wait. Come over here and get sliced." Nott rushed forward, every one of her steps making up for every two Filia was ahead of her. It was only by sheer luck and running immediately that Filia made in into the hall first.

_She's on her way, now what?_

_On the ground! Now! _It was such a forceful order that before she had time to even consider the words Filia found herself already pressing down as low as physically possible. This meant that when Nott stepped into the corridor she was surprised but no less excited to see her target sprawled on the ground. A single pale hand emerged from the cloak to snuff out her life, but it was at that moment someone flew through the air and collided with her, sending both flying at and through one of the walls into the large amount of pipes hidden by the metal.

Before either girl could fully absorb the situation a third person joined them in the hallway. It looked mostly like a man with the way its overall build and how it walked forward on two feet; but it had sharp looking claws and fangs, black fur covered the majority of the creature's body, and the mouth had far more in common with a dog in appearance. The oddest parts were the ears, placed where a normal person's but more beastial in nature and pointing straight upwards, and that it was wearing a pair of what looked like green boxing shorts.

"Are you two okay?" The creature spoke in a sort of growl, but the polite tone sounded far too familiar. Noting their confused expression their savior looked down at himself. "Oh, sorry- this is your first time seeing me like this." Almost like watching a horror movie in reverse the hair on his body receded into the creature's skin, and his ears and other body parts becoming more definitively human, until a nervous but grinning Aiden stood before them. "Is that better?"

"Y-yeah." Filia answered, still clearly processing what had just happened. She looked back at Carol for a response, but her mask hid any reaction besides a similar silence. Slowly the young lady eyed Aiden before taking notice of something.

"Your nails." At first she didn't get what Carol meant, but a second look showed that not a single Gleipnir was inside him.

"That guy Phi needed to go down fast, so I've been going full-force against him for the past few minutes." he explained. "You both look alright, but is Dr. Avian safe?" Neither girl could answer before a loud and insane-sounded laugh invaded their ears, mixed in with occasional coughs.

"You really should stop focusing on everyone else." Slowly Phi rose from the hole, his robe torn apart to reveal a rather ordinary looking set of brown khakis and matching dress shirt. If not for the white mask covering the whole of his head he might have even passed as a normal, well-dressed person around their age.

"Why? You haven't been much a threat." Aiden taunted, but still he found himself transitioning back into his bestial form and shielding the girls behind him.

"Because you have shown me all your strength, and have proven yourself capable enough to be a genuine challenge. For that I must commend you, but from here on I will show you an equal degree of respect." Without warning Phi started to beat on his mask, each impact causing a loud snapping noise, until eventually a large ridge took form in the middle. Seizing the chance Phi grabbed and pulled at this and tore the whole object from his head and threw the pieces down beside him.

In theory the man before them would be considered handsome. His head was equally as pale as the rest of his body, but given his bright-gold eyes and short sun-bleached brown hair the color served to only complement his features even more; and the everything else from his rounded face to body language off the impression of a gentle person. But there was something about the way he gazed at everyone was far too malicious, as if everyone in front of him were nothing more than toys for his own amusement. His grin, one far too wide for any sane person to consider making and oozed psychotic glee, also marred that beauty.

"Much better. As for the matter of your allies…" he took a deep breath before raising his head high. "Nott! Nidhogg! You can fight seriously now- I broke my mask first." Phi's yell was practically deafening to everyone in the same room, Aiden in particular needing to cover his ears. Because of that only Carol was able to hear the squeal of glee behind Phi and prepare for what happened next.

Faster than anyone could react Phi grabbed Aiden and threw him back down the hall, and before she or Filia could follow to help a figure appeared out of the hole with something sharp and metallic in her arms. Instinctively Carol raised the Buer Drive in front of them, but whatever the weapon was it knocked her and Filia back. When everything settled down Carol realized she was looking at… herself.

No, it wasn't quite Carol. Nott's skin had more of a gray tinge despite how otherwise clean it looked and her hair was the strangest and loudest shade of green possible; but the body, face, and figure were near exact copies. Her outfit was the most striking: bandages were wrapped around the whole of her body from her legs to the top of her neck and hands, with only a patient's scrubs serving as actual clothing.

"Your… just like me." Carol whispered, causing only laughs from her doppelganger.

"Oh sweetheart, don't flatter yourself like that- I am a superior you." Nott sneered, raising her arms to take a lick of what looked like tonfas being held in her arms by clamps, and instead of the normal poles running down her arms were a pair of menacing, metallic blades. "Why don't I show you?" Carol once again attempted to block the oncoming attack, but the result was the same.

"My Night Shade is a better weapon." Filia turned her hair into a scorpion and attempted to sting Nott, but she dodged easily. "My speed is superior." With minimal effort she spun through the air and swatted both girls into the wall. "And my strength is far beyond you."

Nearby Aiden was desperately dodging attacks he couldn't really see while trying to understand the situation.

_What in the name of Gehenna is going on here Doctor?_

_I- _Dr. Avian was doing the best he could to process what was happening. On the other screens Ben and Patricia were still struggling against the shape-shifter and Ileum was dealing with the water manipulator, each time narrowly dodging his attacks but never quite able to land a blow herself. It looked like she had finally gotten in a lucky blow as one drill cleanly sliced along the man's body when he spoke.

"Oh thank goodness. I was getting terribly bored out here. Fetzen!" A series of watery blades swarmed around Nidhogg, tearing apart both Ileum's arm and the robes surrounding him.

What was underneath made Dr. Avian, a man who had seen more atrocities than he cared to mention, gasp. Much like Nott he looked like a flawed copy of Aiden, but here the differences were even more pronounced: though pale his skin was free of any apparent scarring, similar blue eyes except his were frigid in their blue, and his hair was white like fresh snow. For clothing he wore dark green surgeon robes and a sea-green cloth designed to look like scales wrapped around his head, from which was pouring out all of the water he was using, all of which made his arms look even more grotesque: dark to the point of almost black they appeared lifeless and dead, the only sign of them still working being how ably his hands moved in a series of intricate motions to conduct the blades.

"You- what are you? Why do you look like Ragnarok?" Ileum asked.

"ASG Lab 0 Operative R-1: Nidhogg. As for why it is because Brain Drain sought to create a perfected version of that weakling, much like Nott is a superior Painwheel. Not that telling you matters at all: in a moment Avian will be dead with everyone else here following shortly after." Ileum reflexively sent her other tendril out and got a solid strike at his midsection, leaving a large cut right below where his heart was.

"I won't let that happen." Ileum reminded Nidhogg forcefully, but Nidhogg barely reacted beyond a slight frown.

"Even if your opinion were a major factor here nothing can stop me: look." the warrior pointed down at his chest, where the wound was shrinking and healing at impossible speeds. In mere seconds there wasn't even a scar to hint at his injury. "My main parasite the Jormungand Unit will heal any wound you or the other subjects could even inflict, and the Fimbulvinter in my arms will send everyone into an icy Gehenna. Now die quietly- Schneiden Dolch!" Without the cloak to cover him Ileum could clearly see the water from his headband split and take a pair of definitive forms, and with a single touch from his hands they hardened into small but dangerous looking daggers of solid ice.

The first blade left his hands quick enough that Ileum only dodged by instinct, but by the time Nidhogg threw the second one she was prepared to avoid the attack and slither closer to him.

"Fine then:MAUER!" Once more the water split up and formed a solid wall of ice in front of him. "Dreizack!" It was difficult to see behind the ice but Ileum saw Nidhogg start to form a weapon in his hands, but it left him wide open. Taking advantage of that she moved her arms so that drills and acid would assault him from every direction. For a second Avian reached for his earpiece to congratulate Ileum, but when the acid cleared he realized that there was nothing there: if her attacks had landed there would at least have been bones remaining. In the corner of the screen he noticed movement.

"Ileum he's still-" A large amount of interference ruined the last of his message as Ileum felt her own communicator and ear being pierced by a sharp object.

"It took an extra word to eliminate you-very impressive." In the peripheral of her vision Ileum saw Nidhogg, badly burned in areas, but even that damage was quickly fixing itself. In his hands was a long and treacherous looking trident which was currently being jammed in the side of her head. "Abgrund." Everything in Ileum's body froze, including her brain and heart.

"No!" Ben had seen the whole display and unknowingly mirrored Dr. Avian's reaction perfectly.

Double attempted to use this opportunity charge at him. "Worry not Mr. Birdland, for soon you shall be joining her." There was no yelling or retorts, only action as Big Band launched one massive blow at Double to send her flying before leaping towards Nidhogg.

"Let's see how you handle this, punk." Beneath his feet four timpani drums took form with blasters protruding from the bottoms while in his hands a matching set of sticks came out. "Timpani Drive." As Big Band banged on the drums a series of fiery blasts were launched towards Nidhogg.

Almost as if expecting the attack Nidhogg twirled the trident in his hand and shouted "Natter Rolle!" The water around him took a spiraling and serpentine shape, freezing as each segment finished forming a barrier. When met with Big Band's assaults the ice fractured and occasionally broke, but each time a new piece was ready to replace the damaged wall. Eventually he ran out of ammo, but even then Big Band refused to give up and instead started punching at the ice. This tactic proved to be more effective as Nidhogg looked noticeably more annoyed at how quickly he had to replace each shard of ice. It was when Big Band finally broke through and came crashing towards the ground that his opponent lost control.

"Why are you being such a nuisance? Klaue!" A hand formed and turned solid that plucked Big Band out of the air. With no restraint Caldur sent his opponent crashing into the ground, each time producing more dents in Big Band's instruments. "Time to see how durable your old body is." Caldur clutched his hand intensely, and the frozen arm copied it perfectly, causing Big Band to groan loudly as his saxophone lung started to cave in on itself. Slowly the gears churned to a crawl and screws strained to keep the machine in one-piece.

"Let him go." A laser to the face forced Nidhogg to stop and look up towards a furious Peacock. "Or I'll fill you full of holes."

"In that case catch." he growled as the watery hand threw Big Band right at Peacock. Instead of moving the girl gave a little whistle, and from out of nowhere an anvil with hands and feet appeared. With ease he caught Big Band and with only a light grunt carried the damaged man to rest on the ground.

"About time you called for help. You want to tag-team this guy?" As he said this the rest of her gang appeared, but surprisingly their leader was deathly quiet.

"No. You guys stay here and make sure Ben is taken care of. This guy needs to be taken off the air."

_Doctor! _Avian was shaken from looking at the screen by Aiden's yell. _What is going on out there?_

_Nothing good: Ileum and Ben are both in critical condition, and Patricia is all alone out there fighting one of the subjects. _He eyed one particular screen in the corner _Leduc and Hive are still holding their own, but it is hard to say how much longer that will last against Valentine. _

_Great_. Turning his full attention back to Phi Aiden attempted to throw a punch, only for some invisible force to redirect the blow.

"There you go getting distracted again. If you learned to stop focusing on everyone else this fight would be more interesting." True to his word it was all Aiden could do to hold his own, with all of his attacks never quite landing how they should and Phi somehow being able to hit him though some unseen force. "Then again you are going up against perfection, so your loss is inevitable."

"Will you shut up?!" Aiden yelled, rushing towards his opponent with hopes of the others surviving carrying him forward.

Filia fell on her knees. Every part of her body was feeling sore from the past 24 hours, and trying to fight Nott was only worsening her condition. Carol was about the same, her arms and legs both low to the ground and panting behind her mask.

"Care to give up yet?" Rebecca sneered at the two girls. "It would be less of a pain for you two- only one hit apiece to end it, I promise." Nott's last barrage of attacks was so tiring to dodge that even Samson lacked enough oxygen to make a remark. "Too tired to talk? In that case I'll end this now and get back to work: I have a dissection with Dr. Avian due." With one hand she easily lifted Filia up to eye-level while the other reared back to deal the final blow with the tonfa. Samson feebly sent out blasts of hair in the form of spikes, but each one was easily dodged by Nott moving her head. The blade was now moving forward, ready to end Filia's-

*BAM!*

Filia hit the ground hard, but pain was the least of her concerns as Carol had gotten up and hit Nott with enough force to send the psychotic girl to the ground. What was more it appeared that Carol was now glowing a bright-blue color

"No...NO… You won't… hurt my friend. NEVER!" Carol loosed a primal and furious scream. For a moment Filia swore she saw a black mist surrounding her friend. Nott quickly rose to her feet and dove towards the girls with weapons ready. Carol charged with renewed energy and easily dodged attacks that would have hit her easily before, and equally as often landing small blows. Eventually Nott's guard dropped and Carol took advantage of it, trapping her from behind with the Buer Drive before tackling her back into the hallway. Filia rested on the ground for a moment until she realized the sounds of fighting were gradually receding away.

"Samson, we need to follow them." Samson didn't even waste the time to groan before responding.

"Are you crazy kid? We can barely stand up." He was right:in any other situation Filia might have considered lying down and resting.

"We can't. Something is wrong with Carol- the way she was moving didn't look natural at all. If she isn't in control and something happens..." Filia shuddered at the thought of failing her best friend again.

Eventually Samson sighed. "Fine. But try to take it slow kid." Filia nodded and with some effort rose back to a standing position and trudged down the hallway to find Carol. It wasn't hard to know where they had gone: dents and scratches along the walls showed that both girls were fighting as if possessed. After walking down several corridors and taking enough time that she could finally breathe evenly Filia made it back into the main lab, which in the span of less than an hour had changed drastically from the video Dr. Avian had shown her earlier.

Most of the computer screens were cracked with knives or spikes protruding from them and both the mechanical arm and laser machines had been toppled over, now producing more sparks than actual work. The vat above them now had a whole and was leaking a strange orange liquid on the ground beneath it. The only breaks and silence beyond a minor spark was the loud crashing sounds produced by the only four people still fighting.

In the middle of the lab Carol and Nott were locked in a violent struggle, the former still screaming angrily while her opponent looked to be thoroughly enjoying herself. Nearby Aiden was desperately continuing his assault on Phi, but more than ever it appeared Phi was doing little more than toying with him. Peacock was lying on the ground next to a winded but uninjured Nidhogg while Valentine was carefully using her body bags to restrain Hive and Leduc, but both Lab 0 residents were clearly paying more attention to the fights.

All at once the sound of two loud collisions filled the air, one from Carol getting sent flying by a well-aimed kick to the chest and the other as Phi looked to have finally gotten bored and simply kicked Aiden in the throat, forcing both to the ground.

"No!" Filia was unsure why she screamed: it was more of a gut reaction than anything else. Phi turned towards her with a mixture of annoyance and contempt.

"Really Nott? You couldn't eliminate the girl? She only has one parasite and no Blood in her." he sighed in disappointment, and to everyone's surprise Nott had a slightly guilty look on her face.

"I got a little excited about Painwheel. Why should I care about some nobody anyway?" she muttered.

Phi merely shook his head "See, this is why we can't let you and Nidhogg go solo yet: both too unfocused to do the job right. Let me show you." He dashed right up to Filia and wrapped one arm around her throat before anyone could react. With the other hand he carefully gathered all of Samson's hair and held it in place, despite Samson's constant writhing to avoid his grip.

"Why-" Filia gasped out the single word as her airway became constricted. All other words and thoughts quickly evaporated. Her vision was beginning to blur, and she only barely heard Phi's response.

"Nothing must be allowed to ruin his vision." His hands were now positioned to snap Filia's neck, but at this point there was too little air in her lungs to really struggle. With the fleeting bit of oxygen left in her brain she found it cruelly hilarious how just when they had become friends again she would lose Carol-

"Release her." A voice whispered from every direction. Phi immediately obeyed and Filia fell to the ground, body gasping to reclaim some fresh air. Even then she gasped as she turned and saw the originator of the order: Brain Drain.

Neither the memories nor the projection could quite emphasize what it felt like to stand in this man's presence. Everything from the carefully-crafted uniform and well-honed body parts radiated authority. The way the sensors that functioned as eyes slowly dissected the entire scene before him, and how the brain clearly visible on top of his head appeared more massive than what a normal person's should ever be.

"Master." Phi and the other subjects whispered with reverence. Even Nott looked tempted to bow before this monstrosity of a man. "Why is this…little nothing important?" His laugh was more felt than heard with how deep and rough it sounded, and just like when talking Filia swore she could hear it all around her.

"Her presence was beyond even my expectations, though it was very sensible considering the disappearance of Painwheel. Regardless it is vital that she remain alive until our current project is perfected. Besides," Brain Drain said a mocking tone, "it would be a tragedy to lose our dear Samson." Most of what he had said confused Filia, except that last part.

"What?" She felt Samson shift slightly on his head.

"Dear child, did you never wonder how he got to be there? Why you suddenly woke up with nothing but amnesia and a parasite in your hair?" As he said it Filia realized that something was off: even as her memories came back she had no recollection of the moments immediately before losing her memories, or when she had ever even seen Brain Drain. "Perhaps this will refresh your memory."

A blast of psychic energy coursed through Filia, and suddenly her mind was filled with images-Carol being taken, her running towards Valentine, and Brain Drain holding a dark object, and the phrase "Do not fail me Samson."

"Stop!" At some point during Brain Drain's arrival Aiden had slipped past Phi and was now running towards him for a punch. Right before it touch Brain Drain Aiden felt himself be stopped by some invisible force.

"Ah yes, Subject Ragnarok. Such a pleasure to see you after all these years. Unfortunately your work has already been improved upon." Brain Drain gestured towards Nidhogg. "Though I am deeply curious as to how you developed such a strong mind in four years."

"How about I tear your head off first? We can share stories after-" Instantly Aiden started clutching his head and screwed his eyes shut in pain. "No!" He fell silent for a while, and when he opened his eyes they were both back to being blue. Equally as fast he began to turn back into the man-wolf form, only now he was groaning in pain.

Brain Drain stared at him in interest. "Fascinating: your thoughts shifted to that of a wholly new person. Perhaps you are worth examining." As he said this Filia had finally stopped shaking and fell to the ground with a vacant look-at some point she had lost consciousness. "Unless you would care to explain.

"No chance." Ragnarok tried to rise up, but for some reason he acted wholly unused to his animalistic form and quickly fell over. In desperation he reached towards a stray nail on the ground.

"What is this?" Ragnarok's whole body froze in place, and as is forced by an invisible hand both his arms fell to his sides. In the meantime Brain Drain moved the nail towards him to closely examine it.

"You still have the Gleipnir. Is is that the Fenrir Drive still proves too much for you- if so how were you handling it a moment ago?" He thought for a second before coming to a realization. "I need the others." He made no effort but from all over the room seven other nails flew towards him, and back in the corridor two more followed and floated in front of him.

"Give those back." Ragnarok demanded, still struggling at the force holding him in place.

"Why should I? From what little Phi has been sharing with me during my talk it sounds like you have been using these improperly." As he said this the Gleipnir floated towards Ragnarok, but instead of his arms all ten were evenly spaced out in a line on his back. "Subjects like you and Painwheel require some form of control, and in both cases nails have proven thoroughly effective. Let me remind you why."

When the first nail entered his spine Aiden started screaming in pain. Each one after caused him to writhe in even greater agony, his features turning more human and voice becoming higher as the pain coursed through him.

"Ragnarok!" Hive and Leduc screamed and tried to get up. Hive was able to get to her knees before both of them were knocked back to the ground by Valentine.

"I would advise staying out of this." In front of her Carol was starting to stand up too, no longer glowing but still furiously shaking "Stand down Painwheel." No response. "Override code: 36E-25-40. Stand down and await further instructions." She froze in place, and for a moment Valentine was sure it had worked. Then without warning Carol launched a Gae Bolga from her hand towards Valentine before running towards Brain Drain.

Valentine narrowly darted out of the way, and in that small window of time Hive and Leduc dashed forward. Nott and Nidhogg moved to stop them, but just as quickly they stopped. In any other circumstance the Lab 8 subjects might have questioned this.

"Cell Crush!" A series of bees flew from Hive's Parasite and formed a series of six hammers that Brain Drain deflected these with a wave of his hand, all of them crashing into the ground.

"Rail-Gun Punch!" Leduc threw a punch with enough force and electricity that a condensed blast of lightning flew towards Brain Drain. With a second motion the hammers formed into a metal ball that blocked all the attack, but from the top of the pile Painwheel emerged.

"Go to Hell!" Her Buer Thresher spinning erratically Painwheel charged at Brain Drain, but whatever she was planning was instantly stopped as a strong wave of psychic energy forced her onto the ground. Behind her Hive and Leduc shared the same fate.

"Enough! You three are a distraction, and I have neither the time nor the patience for it." The door behind him flew off its hinges and split into three parts before hanging in the air and caving into itself to form a more distinct appearance. In the end all three became simple but deadly spears. "Fall." As one they flew towards Carol and the others.

The tip of the nearest spear was no less than an arm's-length away when Fenrir stepped in front of her, all but three nails still stuck in his back. With a defiant scream his clawed hands snapped the spears before any harm could be done. With that final exertion he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Impossible. When did he-" but his questioned was stopped by Valentine.

"Sir, it is nearly sunrise: people will start travelling on the bridge soon." This gave Brain Drain pause.

"I see." he whispered after a minute's thought. "In that case we are done here. But…" he turned back towards Carol and the others "we will settle this matter in the future. Somehow you Carol, along with Aiden have shown unforeseen skills. In the interest of testing those new limits I will give you one month-the 5th of November- to prepare yourselves for a rematch against us. The Skullgirl will truly begin stirring then, so it would prove to be a fantastic warm-up for my subjects." He began to head for the door, but at the last moment his head turned towards a camera. "I am sure you are listening Will, so know that on that day I will teach you the final lesson: the true King Piece in this world." With that last message he walked away in earnest, each of the other Lab 0 subjects following.

Carol was trying to process what he said: a battle, training, something about a king? The world was getting hazy. Maybe she should rest for a while…

**Well that was fun. Again I apologize, but as a consolation for this taking so long I also created a one-shot story for Steven Universe that will hopefully satisfy until Chapter 13 (which will take less time). It will be a T-rated work called "Mother-Son Bonding Time" and for those of a more mature audience I humbly ask you wait until the next chapter is up, as much like this case I will release a lemon one-shot for another series at the same time. As always review if possible, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and have a lovely day.**


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